The Klee flower    Illustration from Abrams and Ferris (1951)        

 

Penstemon rattanii A. Gray ssp. kleei- In 2007, Brian D Klee was the first to discover a link to this story on the Internet.  Since then Brian's cousin, Joan Klee has made additional contributions, including the colored photo of the Klee flowers above..

WG Klee Flower: In 1883, on Ben Lomond, the highest peak in California's Santa Cruz Mountains, Waldemar G Klee*, discovered and identified the flower “Penstemon kleei” that bears the name Klee in his honor; Klee was in charge of the Agriculture Experimental Station at Univerity of California , Berkeley. This endangered flower belongs to the same Genus as the famed Edelweiss of the Austrian Alps. Joan Klee, who lives in the Austrian Alps, grows Edelweiss in her garden and is hoping to grow the Klee flower too.   

                                                                                                                    

Edelweiss

Please go to bottom of page to see another relative of the Klee flower. **

HARVARD UNIVERSITY HERBARIUM  http://asaweb.huh.harvard.edu:8080/databases/specimens?id=173746

Collector

W. G. Klee; Penstemon kleei

1 selected specimen INDEX OF BOTANICAL SPECIMENS

Record number

173746

 

TYPE

Family

Scrophulariaceae

Basionym

Penstemon kleei Greene

Publication

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 10: 127. 1883.

 

CURRENT DETERMINATION

Family

Scrophulariaceae

Name

Penstemon rattanii A. Gray subsp. kleei (Greene) D. D. Keck

 

COLLECTION

Collector

W. G. Klee

Date

Jun 1883

Country

United States of America

State/Province

California

County

Santa Cruz County

Locality

Summit of Ben Lomond, highest peak of Santa Cruz Mountains

 

CURATION

Herbarium

GH

Barcode

91300

Format

on sheet

Reproductive state

flower and fruit

 

OTHER

Remarks

= Penstemon rattanii A. Gray ssp. kleei (Greene) D. D. Keck

 *   It should come as no surprise to learn that in addition to his many other contributions to the university, WG Klee taught botany.

** Plants in Flower GardenFOXGLOVE, Digitalis Purpurea

  Also known as PENSTEMON DIGITALIS, another relative of the Klee Flower, Penstemon kleei

  Foxglove is well known in the field of medicine as the source of a medicine called Digitalis, which is used to treat heart failure.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penstemon

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penstemon_digitalis

  Hummingbirds love Foxglove flowers.