[Monkey Flowers: The Genera Diplacus, Erythranthe and Mimulus West of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Musk-flower, Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Musk-plant, Sticky Monkey-flower

Erythranthe moschata

Synonyms:Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius

Flower of Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkey-flower: Erythranthe moschata (Synonyms: Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius)

Musk-flower monkeyflower as seen from wetlands around Upper Bigelow Lake, Siskiyou National Forest.......July 14, 2012.

Characteristics:

Musk-flowered monkey flower is a perennial with lax or prostrate stems from 5-70 cm long long. It is often freely branched and the herbage is often sticky-hairy with numerous slender, flattened, shining white hairs as seen above. The herbage tends to be slimy and sometimes strongly musk-scented. The stems are simple and pinnately veined with either short petioles or sessile. The leaf blades are ovate to elliptic-ovate or lance-ovate in shape. The blades range from 1-8 cm long and 7-35 mm wide.

The flowers have long stems. The calyx is 7-13 mm long with pointed lobes or teeth 2-4 mm long. The upper tooth or lobe of the calyx is slightly longer than the others. The calyx is glandular-hairy, especially on the 5 ribs. The corolla is 1.5-3 cm long, thin in cross-section, and yellow with some occasional dark lines or dots. The 5 lobes are barely two-lipped as the lobes spread widely.


Habitat:

Musk-flowered monkey flower is found in moist meadows from near sea level to medium elevations in the the mountains.


Range:

Musk-flowered monkey flower may be found from southern British Columbia south to California, and east to Montana, Utah, and Colorado.


Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkey-flower: Erythranthe moschata (Synonyms: Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius) - Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkey-flower: Erythranthe moschata (Synonyms: Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius)

Musk-flower monkey flower as seen from Summit Prairie, Malheur National Forest........August 20, 2011.

Flowers of Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkey-flower: Erythranthe moschata (Synonyms: Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius) - Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkey-flower: Erythranthe moschata (Synonyms: Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius)

Close-up images of the flowers of musk-flower monkey flower as seen from Summit Prairie, Malheur National Forest........August 20, 2011. The photo at right shows a view down upon the flower from above..

Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkey-flower: Erythranthe moschata (Synonyms: Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius) - Musk Monkeyflower, Musk-flower Monkeyflower, Musk-flowered Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkey-flower: Erythranthe moschata (Synonyms: Mimulus moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. longiflorus, Mimulus moschatus var. moschatus, Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius)

The photo above shows a side view of the calyces and corollas of musk-flowered monkey flower from the Rainy Lake Trailhead, Mt. Hood N.F........June 2000.

Paul Slichter