Yellow monkey-flower, seep monkeyflower • Erythranthe guttata, Mimulus guttatus
Yellow monkey-flower growing in cracks along wet rock faces. Photos by Brian Starzomski (top left closeup), John Reynolds (bottom left), and Sara Wickham (right).
Identification
Yellow monkey-flower grows as an annual from roots, or as a perennial from creeping stolons, and is 10-80 cm tall. It has leafy stems that grow upright or trail along the ground; stems can be branched or unbranched, and are usually hairless. The large (2-4 cm long) yellow flowers are trumpet-shaped and composed of two lips. The lower lip bears either one large dark reddish spot or several small spots. The leaves are paired, oval, and toothed. Upper leaves clasp the stem, and lower leaves are stalked.
Habitat & Range
Yellow monkey-flower grows in wet, open locations from low to high elevations. Habitats including seepage sites, streambanks, spray zones, ditches, clearings, wet rocky ledges, crevices, gravel bars, and rock faces. It is a common species in BC. Its range stretches across much of the western half of North America, as well as some areas of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and the northeastern United States (see range map).
Similar Species
Mountain monkey-flower (Mimulus tilingii) is shorter (5-20 cm), but with flowers equal in size to those of yellow monkey-flower. It is found in alpine and subalpine habitats, and is less common. Many other monkey-flower species are found in BC, some on the Central Coast and some not. See E-Flora BC for a full list of Mimulus species found in BC.
Intriguing Info
The spot (or spots) on the lower lip of the flower is formed by anthocyanin pigments. Spots are a dominant trait, and are controlled by a single gene, the expression of which is controlled by temperature.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/470643-Erythranthe-guttata
Yellow monkey-flower grows as an annual from roots, or as a perennial from creeping stolons, and is 10-80 cm tall. It has leafy stems that grow upright or trail along the ground; stems can be branched or unbranched, and are usually hairless. The large (2-4 cm long) yellow flowers are trumpet-shaped and composed of two lips. The lower lip bears either one large dark reddish spot or several small spots. The leaves are paired, oval, and toothed. Upper leaves clasp the stem, and lower leaves are stalked.
Habitat & Range
Yellow monkey-flower grows in wet, open locations from low to high elevations. Habitats including seepage sites, streambanks, spray zones, ditches, clearings, wet rocky ledges, crevices, gravel bars, and rock faces. It is a common species in BC. Its range stretches across much of the western half of North America, as well as some areas of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and the northeastern United States (see range map).
Similar Species
Mountain monkey-flower (Mimulus tilingii) is shorter (5-20 cm), but with flowers equal in size to those of yellow monkey-flower. It is found in alpine and subalpine habitats, and is less common. Many other monkey-flower species are found in BC, some on the Central Coast and some not. See E-Flora BC for a full list of Mimulus species found in BC.
Intriguing Info
The spot (or spots) on the lower lip of the flower is formed by anthocyanin pigments. Spots are a dominant trait, and are controlled by a single gene, the expression of which is controlled by temperature.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/470643-Erythranthe-guttata
References
Mimulus guttatus DC. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 28/04/2014.
Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing. P. 264
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2014).
Mimulus guttatus DC. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 28/04/2014.
Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing. P. 264
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2014).