from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A name given to plants of the genus Pentstemon, with reference to the bearded sterile stamen.
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Rank jewel flower poured gold from dainty cornucopias and lavender beard-tongue offered honey to a million bumbling bees; water smart-weed spread a glowing pink background, and twining amber dodder topped the marsh in lacy mist with its delicate white bloom.
A western species of the beard-tongue has been selected by gardeners for hybridizing into showy but often less charming flowers.
a mere scale on the roof of the corolla tube; in other lipped flowers, the useless organ has disappeared; but in the beard-tongue, it goes through a series of curious curves from the upper to the under side of the flower to get out of the way of the pistil.