Parry's Penstemon

Parry's penstemon, also known as Parry penstemon, Parry's beardtongue and desert penstemon, is an annual with a rosette of basal leaves and flowering stems to four feet tall.

It has snapdragon-like tubular flowers,

but with open throats, that are bright pink to purple-pink, that line the upper portion of the stems. The close-up of the flower below makes it apparent why it is sometimes called the "beardtongue."

The flowers, that are bylaterally symmetrical, occur in clusters at the ends of short, paired stalks.

It is found in southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico in mountain canyons, desert washes and on grassland slopes.

We found it in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument at the Visitor's Center, near the main road and along the Ajo Mountain loop road near the highest elevation.