Maureen aka MontanaRaven@Flickr (and frequent BPotD commenter) is the artist contributing today's photograph (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Maureen shares her work via her weblog, raven's nest, and her photoblog, Land of Little Rain. Thanks once again, Maureen.

A glance at the flower in the upper left provides reason enough for two of the common names of this species: fuzzytongue penstemon or crested beardtongue. This is a plant of the open spaces that define parts of western North America, as shown by its distribution in the USA and presence in Alberta and British Columbia. I'm not certain if it is found further east in Canada; since it can be found in the North Dakotan grasslands, perhaps it is also present in Saskatchewan.

Both the Burke Museum and E-Flora BC provide more images of this species. This photograph by Virginia Skilton shows with particular clarity the bearded staminode (or sterile stamen) that is responsible for both the common name and specific epithet (eriantherus means “woolly anther”).