Flower:

Stalked, ascending clusters arising from leaf axils in the upper plant, with 6 or more short-stalked flowers branching off the tip of each cluster. Flowers are about ¾ inch long, white to pinkish, tubular with 5 rounded lobes. The lower lip has 3 lobes nearly equal in size; the upper lip has 2 erect lobes of equal size and slightly smaller than the lower lobes. Inside the tube are several purplish lines, 4 black-tipped stamens hugging the upper part of the tube, a white style, and a flattish, sterile stamen with yellow hairs on the tip half.

The floral tube is abruptly inflated from the lower third. The calyx surrounding the flower is green and has 5 slightly spreading, narrowly egg-shaped to triangular lobes. Cluster stalks are about 1 inch long and green to reddish. The flower, calyx and flower stalks are all densely covered in glandular hairs.

Leaves and stems:

Basal and lowest stem leaves are somewhat variable, up to 2 inches long, stalked, variably toothed around the edges, spatula shaped to oblong-elliptic with a pointed to rounded tip. Stem leaves are opposite, up to 4 inches long and ¾ inch wide, becoming more lance-oblong, pointed at the tip, stalkless and clasping, the uppermost toothless or with minute, widely spaced teethed around the edge.

Upper surfaces are moderately to densely covered in soft hairs, the lower hairy especially along the midrib. Stems are erect, single or multiple from the base, and hairy, but not glandular except in the flower clusters.

Fruit:

Fruit is a teardrop-shaped capsule containing numerous tiny dark brown, angled seeds.

Notes:

Pale Beardtongue is considered historical in Minnesota, though the national map indicates it's adventive here; there have been only 3 records total from Lake and St. Louis counties, collected from roadsides in the 1950s. It is a Special Concern species in Wisconsin, with the closest population just across the Mississippi River from Houston County. Coincidentally, while exploring Vinegar Ridge in Houston County, we found what appears to be a natural population of Pale Beardtongue in an area that had been burned earlier in the year. Perhaps this species isn't historical after all...? The flowers are similar to other Penstemon species: White Penstemon (Penstemon albidis), Pale Beardtongue (Penstemon pallidus) and Slender Beardtongue (Penstemon gracilis), all of which have hairless (or nearly so) leaves and stems.