General: Perennial, 25-65 cm tall; stems 1 to several, erect to ascending; herbage glabrous, glaucous; caudex branched.

Leaves: Basal and cauline, opposite, the basal blades oblanceolate, obovate, or spatulate, 5-12 cm long, 12-35 mm wide, the cauline ones somewhat smaller, lanceolate to ovate, base rounded to cordate-clasping, blades fleshy, margins entire; basal blades petiolate, cauline blades sessile.

Flowers: Inflorescence elongate, secund, with compressed to loose cymes; peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent; calyx 6-10 mm long, the lobes narrowly lanceolate, glandular- pubescent; corolla pale lavender to blue-violet, 14-20 (22) mm long, broadly expanded and somewhat inflated, glandular-puberulent within and without, the upper lip projecting, the lower lip reflexed, violet guidelines on the lower lip and in the throat, the top of the lower lip white, glandular, villous-bearded; staminode exserted, densely yellow-bearded; flowers May-September.

Fruits: Capsule, 9-13 mm long.

Ecology: Pinyon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, sandy to gravelly soils; 1400-2600 m (4500-8500 ft); Apache, Coconino, and Mohave counties; southwestern U.S.

Notes: Penstemon pachyphyllus colonizes readily following fire and is tolerant of poor soils. The Havasupai place folded leaves in the mouth while hunting to make the sound of a baby deer.

Editor: Springer et al. 2008