Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Wild foxglove

Digitalis is found in some
.
We were out looking for Celestial to photograph when we found this lone Wild Foxglove. Alas, the Celestials were long gone, but there were some interesting wildflowers and insects to photograph. More of these to come over the next few weeks. Click here to see last year's Celestial.

Click on the photo for a better view.
Leave a comment if you like the photo.

Penstemon cobaea Nutt.
Wild foxglove, Prairie penstemon, Foxglove penstemon, False foxglove, Large-flowered beardtongue, Large-flowered penstemon, Prairie beardtongue, Cobaea penstemon
Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)
USDA Symbol: PECO4
USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

When in bloom, large, tubular flowers line at least half of cobaea beardtongue’s 1-2½ ft. stems. It is typically found on rocky, calcareous soils in the Hill country of Texas. The flowers are white with dark purple lines inside the floral tube. One to three stout stems rise from a woody rhizome and bear thick, 2-3½ in. paired leaves which become smaller up the stem. The leaves have a waxy, shiny luster and are coursely toothed. The lower leaves have often withered by the time of flowering.

Perennial

This penstemon attracts a variety of moths.

Ft. Worth Nature Center & Refuge, May 2, 2009.
Canon G10, f/4, 1/125 sec., ISO 100, 11:30 AM

REFERENCES:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Native Plant Database.

Marshall Enquist. 1987. Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country. Lone Star Botannical, Austin, TX, 275 pp.

PS: There is an interesting internet reference on digitalis obtained from two other species of Common Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, found here.


Troy and Martha
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16 comments:

Unseen India Tours said...

Beautiful flower with lovely colors..I loved it..Unseen Rajasthan

Kathie Brown said...

Troy, the blossoms look like a lady's skirts, all lavender and loose. Do hummingbirds like this plant also?

bobbie said...

Foxglove is such a beautiful flower. Come to think, I haven't grown this in several years. I should try again.

Anonymous said...

I love this plant - we've got it in the Loess Hills of northwestern Missouri (although it might also be in other prairies that I'm not aware of). The blooms really are spectacular.
regards--ted

photowannabe said...

A beautiful blossom. Good info too. Nice choice for the letter D.

Hildred said...

I love the picture, and love the plant. Many years ago our son's life was saved by digitalis!

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

Such a lovely flower. I love to grow them in my garden.

ArneA said...

Digitalis is poison but well known as a heart medicine.
Beautiful

Jane Hards Photography said...

It slows the heartbeat down and Arne is right is used in medication. Always back to nature for beautiful images.

Doug Taron said...

We have D. cobea here in Illinois, as a rare adventive form further south. Our main native Penstemon is P. digitalis, which is smaller and has white flowers. I wish that P. cobea were part of our flora- I've always found it to be an attractive plant.

Bob Johnson said...

Troy and Martha, theses are beautiful flowers, such a great shot and great info.

Q said...

Very lovely. Looking forward to seeing your bugs too!
Sherry

Jay said...

Wow ... it's quite different from our foxgloves. I'm surprised that digitalis is found in a plant with such major differences! Interesting!

Roger Owen Green said...

I 'm old enough to remember Lady Bird's efforts to beautify America. after Jackie, she had a tough act to follow, but she did so with class.

Tumblewords: said...

Wonderful D - Foxglove has a beautiful blossom - I'd forgotten the digitalis connection and am pleased to 're-learn' it! Thanks! And the photography is beautiful!

Louise said...

Maybe not quite as showy, but still very pretty.