[Monkey Flowers East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Nesom's Monkey Flower

Diplacus cusickioides

Synonym: Mimulus cusickii

Nesom's monkeyflower as seen along Oregon Highway #19 between Kimberly, OR and Spray, OR........June 30, 2010.

Flower of Cusick's Monkeyflower, Cusick's Monkey-flower, Cusick's Monkey Flower: Diplacus cusickii (Synonyms: Eunanus cusickii, Mimulus cusickii)

Photo at right a close-up of the flower of Nesom's monkey flower from US 26 near Mitchell, OR......early September 1999.

Characteristics:

Nesom's monkey flower is an attractive low growing but stout annual up to 40 cm high. The herbage is glandular (sticky) and hairy. The leaves are wide and with 3-5 veins. The lower leaves are obovate or oblanceolate in shape with obtuse tips while the upper leaves are ovate with pointed tips. The leaves range from 5-7 cm long and 1-3 cm wide.

The vibrant flowers are either at the upper part of the stem, or in the leaf axils of the upper leaves. The calyx is 7-13 mm long, strongly glandular-hairy,"cuts". The corolla is a deep magenta color with yellow and deep red in the throat. The flowers are two-lipped with the lips about equal in size. The corolla is 2-3.5 cm long, and it persists after flowering has finished.

Habitat:

Nesom's monkey flower lives in dry open areas, often in sand, gravel or talus, from the plains up into the foothills.

Range:

Nesom's monkey flower may be found from southern Wasco County, OR south to northeastern California, and east to Boise County, Idaho and northern Nevada.

Additional photos of Nesom's monkeyflower as seen along Oregon Highway #19 between Kimberly, OR and Spray, OR.........June 30, 2010. Note the densely glandular herbage and the broad leaves with acuminate tips which help distinguish this species from other large-flowered Diplacus from central Oregon.

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Nesom's monkeyflower still in bloom on gravelly slopes adjacent to Oregon Highway #19 at the Shady Grove Rest Area east of Spray, Oregon.........August 9, 2015.

Leaf of Cusick's Monkeyflower, Cusick's Monkey-flower, Cusick's Monkey Flower: Diplacus cusickii (Synonyms: Eunanus cusickii, Mimulus cusickii)

Note the gland-tipped hairs covering the leaves above.

A side view of the corolla of Nesom's monkey flower from US 26 near Mitchell, OR........early September 1999. Notice the glandular hairs on the calyx and leaves.

- Cusick's Monkeyflower, Cusick's Monkey-flower, Cusick's Monkey Flower: Diplacus cusickii (Synonyms: Eunanus cusickii, Mimulus cusickii)

Nesom's monkey flower on loose slopes along US 26 near Mitchell, OR........early September 1999.

Paul Slichter