One of several Penstemon peckii in my garden in Gresham, OR........summer 1998.
One of several Penstemon peckii in my garden in Gresham, OR........summer 1998.
Penstemon peckii from my garden in Gresham, OR......summer 1998.
Penstemon peckii is a delicate, small penstemon with several erect, slender and long stems arising 25 to 70 cm in height. The stems are smooth or lightly haired below, with some glands within the inflorescence. It is closely related to both Penstemon procerus var. brachyanthus and Penstemon cinicola, both of which can be difficult to distinguish from this penstemon.
the leaves are mainly found on the stems. They are thin, with the smaller lower leaves tapered to winged petioles and the uper ones narrowly elliptic at mid stem and above. Individual leaves range from 2 to 5 cm in length, and they are green with fine pubescent hairs.
The inflorescence is strongly glandular, with three to ten widely spaced verticillasters. Individual verticllasters are very narrow in cross section. The cymes are two to six flowered on fairly long peduncles. The sepals are lanceolate, entire with scarios margins, glandular, and range from two to three mm in length. The small flowers are 6 to 10 mm in length, with narrow tubes with moderately spreading lips. The glandular flowers are light blue to lavender, or often white. The flowers tend to angle downward in the lower inflorescence. The staminode is expanded at the tip and is sparsely haired. The anther sacs split completely and are nearly round in shape when fully open.
Peck's penstemon is named in honor of Morton E. Peck (1871-1958) who was a famous Oregon botanist and botanical author.
Peck's penstemon is found in dry volcanic forest soils, often beneath or within Ponderosa Pine stands.
Peck's penstemon is found on the eastern slopes and base of the Cascade Mountains in central Oregon, from Mt. Hood in the north to the Three Sisters in the south.
