Penstemon digitalis "finger": the flowers resemble fingers of a glove. The plant grows in moist, sandy soil in full sun in meadows, prairies, fields, wood margins, open woods and along railroad tracks. Its bloom period is from late spring to early summer. The plant is known to attract, butterflies, and birds such as hummingbirds. It tolerates deer browsing. Native states for "P. digitalis" include Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri although it is less common in Iowan native prairies compared to other "Penstemon" species. The genus "Penstemon" is the largest in North America with 270 species. However, genome size was relatively unknown for the
Drug discovery products have often been used as the starting point for drug discovery. Until the Renaissance, the vast majority of drugs in Western medicine were plant-derived extracts. This has resulted in a pool of information about the potential of plant species as important sources of starting materials for drug discovery. Botanical knowledge about different metabolites and hormones that are produced in different anatomical parts of the plant (e.g. roots, leaves, and flowers) are crucial for correctly identifying bioactive and pharmacological plant properties. Identifying new drugs and getting them approved for market has proved to be a stringent process due to regulations