Parachute beardtongue plant

Penstemon debilis was discovered in 1986, and was first described by O’Kane and Anderson in 1987 (pp. 412–416). P. debilis is a mat-forming perennial herb with thick, succulent, bluish leaves, each about 0.8 in. (2 cm) long and 0.4 in. (1 cm) wide. Plants produce shoots that run along underground, forming what appear as new plants at short distances away. Individual P. debilis plants are able to survive on the steep, unstable, shale slopes by responding with stem elongation as leaves are buried by the shifting talus. Buried stems progressively elongate down slope from the initial point of rooting to a surface sufficiently stable to allow the development of a tuft of leaves and flowers (O’Kane and Anderson 1987, pp. 414–415). The funnel-shaped flowers are white to pale lavender, and bloom during June and July. P. debilis plants produce a small number of seeds that are dispersed by gravity.