[pen-stee-muh
n, pen-stuh-muhn] 
| any of numerous chiefly North American plants belonging to the genus Penstemon, of the figwort family, some species of which are cultivated for their showy, variously colored flowers. |
| pen·ste·mon (pěn-stē'mən, pěn'stə-mən) n. Any of numerous plants of the genus Penstemon, native to North America and eastern Asia, having opposite leaves, flowers with a usually two-lipped, variously colored corolla, and capsules containing many seeds. Also called beardtongue. [New Latin Pēnstēmōn, genus name : Greek pente, five; see penkwe in Indo-European roots + Greek stēmōn, thread; see stā- in Indo-European roots.] |