Editing Penstemon (section)

==Description==
[[File:Penstemon eriantherus var. whitedii 1.jpg|right|thumb|A prominent, often hairy, staminode is the most distinctive feature of this genus, as in these ''[[Penstemon eriantherus]]'' var. ''whitedii'' flowers]]
They have [[opposite leaves]], partly tube-shaped, and two-lipped [[flower]]s and seed [[Capsule (fruit)|capsule]]s.{{sfn|Freeman|2021}} The most distinctive feature of the genus is the prominent [[staminode]], an infertile [[stamen]].{{sfn|Taylor|1992|p=50}} The staminode takes a variety of forms in the different species; while it is typically a long straight filament extending to the mouth of the corolla, some are longer and extremely hairy, giving the general appearance of an open mouth with a fuzzy tongue protruding and inspiring the common name of "beardtongue".{{sfn|Taylor|1992|p=50}}

Most penstemons form a durable woody stem (a [[caudex]]) and have persistent [[Leaf#Arrangement on the stem|basal leaves]], but some are fully [[deciduous]] [[perennial plant|perennials]], the remainder being [[shrubs]] or subshrubs.{{sfn|Lindgren|Wilde|American Penstemon Society|2003|p=7}} Heights can range from 10&nbsp;cm to as much as 3&nbsp;meters. Along with their variable growth forms the penstemons have highly variable leaves, often with different leaf shapes on different parts of the same plant. Some species have highly reduced needle like leaves and others broad and rounded leaves, with their texture also running the range of hairy to smooth/[[Glabrousness|glaborous]].{{sfn|Lindgren|Wilde|American Penstemon Society|2003|p=11}}{{sfn|Nold|1999|p=38}} In the view of penstemon expert Robert Nold the defining evolutionary characteristic of the genus is adaptation to drought, as demonstrated by their numbers and diversity in the interior west of North America.{{sfn|Nold|1999|p=53–54}}

The distinctive flowers have fused petals shaped like a funnel or tube. At the opening of the flowers the petals are {{plantgloss|bilabiate}}, with a larger lip with three lobes towards the bottom of the flower and the smaller on the upper side with two lobes.{{sfn|Heil|O'Kane, Jr.|Reeves|Clifford|2013|p=715}} Floral colors are quite varied with white, blue, violet, purple, pink, magenta, and red all being common. Much more rarely they may be yellow, though often only a pale shade of cream or ivory.{{sfn|Wolfe Lab 2023}} The most frequent colors are shades of blue. The inside of the flowers and lips are very often marked by [[nectar guide]]s in a distinctive hue and the interior of the flower may also be a different color than the exterior.{{sfn|Heil|O'Kane, Jr.|Reeves|Clifford|2013|p=715}}

The one Asiatic species previously treated in ''Penstemon'' is now placed in a separate genus ''[[Pennellianthus]]''. This leaves ''Penstemon'' a mostly [[Nearctic realm|Nearctic]] genus, with a few [[neotropical]] species.{{sfn|Nold|1999|p=19}} Although widespread across North America, and found in habitats ranging from open desert to moist forests, and up to the alpine zone,{{sfn|Lindgren|Wilde|American Penstemon Society|2003|p=7}} they are not typically common within their range.