Mimulus guttatus
Synonnyms: Mimulus arvensis, Mimulus bakeri, Mimulus brachystylis, Mimulus clementinus, Mimulus cordatus, Mimulus cuspidata, Mimulus decorus, Mimulus equinnus, Mimulus glabratus var. ascendens, Mimulus glareosus, Mimulus grandiflorus, Mimulus grandis, Mimulus guttatus ssp. arenicola, Mimulus guttatus ssp. arvensis, Mimulus guttatus ssp. haidensis, Mimulus guttatus ssp. litoralis, Mimulus guttatus ssp. micranthus, Mimulus guttatus ssp. scouleri, Mimulus guttatus var. arvensis, Mimulus guttatus var. decorus, Mimulus guttatus var. depauperatus, Mimulus guttatus var. gracilis, Mimulus guttatus var. grandis, Mimulus guttatus var. guttatus, Mimulus guttatus var. hallii, Mimulus guttatus var. insignis, Mimulus guttatus var. laxus, Mimulus guttatus var. lyratus, Mimulus guttatus var. microphyllus, Mimulus guttatus var. nasutus, Mimulus guttatus var. puberulus, Mimulus hallii, Mimulus hirsutus, Mimulus langsdorffii, Mimulus langsdorffii var. argutus, Mimulus langsdorffii var. arvensis, Mimulus langsdorffii var. californicus, Mimulus langsdorffii var. grandis, Mimulus langsdorffii var. guttatus, Mimulus langsdofrfii var. insignis, Mimulus langsdorffii var. microphyllus, Mimulus langsdorffii var. minimus, Mimulus langsdorffii var. nasutus, Mimulus langsdorffii var. platyphyllus, Mimulus laxus, Mimulus longulus, Mimulus luteus var. depauperatus, Mimulus luteus var. gracilis, Mimulus lyratus, Mimulus maguirei, Mimulus marmoratus, Mimulus micranthus, Mimulus microphyllus, Mimulus nasutus, Mimulus nasutus var. micranthus, Mimulus paniculatus, Mimulus pardalis, Mimulus parishii, Mimulus petiolaris, Mimulus prionophyllus, Mimulus procerus, Mimulus puberulus, Mimulus puncticalyx, Mimulus rivularis, Mimulus scouleri, Mimulus subreniformis, Mimulus tenellus, Mimulus thermalis, Mimulus unimaculatus

Characteristics:
Common monkey flower is an attractive annual or perennial with many erect or spreading stems from 15-60 cm high. Plants commonly root where the nodes touch the ground. Plants growing in seeps will typically grow higher while those of more arid habitats will be much smaller and less branched. The lower leaves are several veined from the base with ovate to lance-shaped blades which are obtuse to rounded at the tips, with long petioles, and often with ragged lobes towards the base of the blade. The upper leaves are short-petioled or sessile with the blades up to 10 cm long and with toothed margins. The lowest leaves commonly wither quickly while the upper persist. The stem leaves are opposite.
The large, showy flowers are in racemes. The flower stems range up to 6 cm in length. The calyx is ridged with 5 lobes, the uppermost lobe being the longest. The corolla is tubular and much longer than the calyx. The corolla itself is 1-4 cm long. The mouth of the corolla is two-lipped (2 upper lobes and 3 lower) and has many hairs and red spots in the throat. The lower lip is larger than the upper. The calyx is inflated when in fruit.
The developing
seed pods of Mimulus guttatus var. depauperatus at the South Steens
C.G......June 24, 1999.
Common monkey flower inhabits wet places from sea level to moderate elevations in the mountains both in the forests, along roadsides, and well into arid regions.
Common monkey flower is found over much of western North America. It ranges from Alaska and the Yukon south to northern Mexico and east to the Rockies.
