Mimulus alsinoides
Encyclopedia
Mimulus alsinoides is a species of monkeyflower
known by the common names wingstem monkeyflower and chickweed monkeyflower.
to the Klamath Mountains
of far northern California
, where it grows in moist and wet wooded habitat, such as moss beds
and rocky streambanks.
Each flower arises on an erect reddish pedicel
. The base of the flower is surrounded by a slightly hairy red calyx of sepal
s. The yellow corolla of the flower has two lobes on its upper lip and three on its lower. The lower lip has a large red spot and there are usually other red marks in the corolla. The fruit is a small capsule.
Mimulus
Mimulus is a diverse plant genus, the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers. The about 150 species are currently placed in the family Phrymaceae. The genus has traditionally been placed in Scrophulariaceae. The removal of Mimulus from that family has been supported by studies of chloroplast DNA first...
known by the common names wingstem monkeyflower and chickweed monkeyflower.
Distribution
It is native to western North America from British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
of far northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in moist and wet wooded habitat, such as moss beds
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
and rocky streambanks.
Description
Mimulus alsinoides is an annual herb producing an erect stem up to about 15 centimeters tall. The oval green to red-tinged leaves are slightly to obviously toothed. Less than 2 centimeters long with 3 to 5 prominent veins on the upper surface, they are oppositely arranged about the small stem.Each flower arises on an erect reddish pedicel
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
. The base of the flower is surrounded by a slightly hairy red calyx of sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s. The yellow corolla of the flower has two lobes on its upper lip and three on its lower. The lower lip has a large red spot and there are usually other red marks in the corolla. The fruit is a small capsule.