Taxon Report

Penstemon janishiae N. Holmgren

Janish's beardtongue

Print Report

Christopher L. Christie 2005

Taxon Summary

Penstemon janishiae, commonly known as Janish's beardtongue, is a perennial herb in the Plantaginaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1065 to 2350 meters. Penstemon janishiae is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Penstemon janishiae N. Holmgren
Common Name:	Janish's beardtongue
Family:	Plantaginaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR1L3A0
USDA Plants Symbol:	PEJA2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jul	May-Jul
Elevation:	1065-2350 (3495-7710)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Gravelly, Volcanic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	14
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	2
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	7

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Modoc (MOD), Plumas (PLU)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Alturas (4112045), Big Sage Reservoir (4112056), Diamond Mtn. (4012036), Lane Reservoir (4112017), Mahogany Ridge (4112055), Rattlesnake Butte (4112046), Said Valley (4012087), Washington Mtn. (4112048)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	8
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	10	71 %
Non-native plant impacts	3	21%
Other	3	21%
Grazing	2	14%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	14%
ORV activity	2	14%
Development	2	14%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	7%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	7%

Notes



Potentially threatened by wind energy development. Possibly threatened by vehicles and recreational activities. Threatened in ID, and on review list in OR. See Brittonia 31:223 (1979) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 25 October 2025].