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sharp-leaved monkey-flower, showy monkey-flower

seep monkey-flower, yellow monkey-flower

Habit Rhizomatous perennials, occasionally producing many long runners from nodes near base; stems 20-100 cm, erect, not branched, ends of stems densely pubescent with minute and somewhat rigid hairs. A highly variable species, either annual from fibrous roots, or perennial with stolons or rhizomes, the stems from less than a decimeter to nearly a meter high.
Leaves

Leaves mostly cauline, basal leaves generally not persistent;

petioles 8-25 mm near base, 3-5 mm mid-stem, sessile distally;

blade ovate-triangular to ovate-lanceolate, typically 20-50 mm long and 10-30 mm broad, palmate venation with 5-7 veins, base rounded to truncate to shallowly cuneate, margins sharply toothed, apex acute, surfaces occasionally becoming glabrous, distalmost surfaces hairy as stems.

Leaves opposite, soft and often somewhat succulent, the blades from quite small to nearly 1 dm. long, irregularly dentate, ovate to reniform-cordate;

leaves nearly palmately veined, the 3-7 main veins arising near the base; lower leaves petiolate, becoming sessile upward, those of the inflorescence reduced and clasping.

Flowers

Axillary flowers generally 2-7, emerging from nodes at ends of stems; fruiting pedicels 18-35 mm, distalmost pedicels hairy as stems with hairs often barely deflexed;

calyx green with occasional red spots, ovoid, inflated, compressed across sagittal plane, 15-19 mm, hairy as stems, throat closing, lobe margins villous;

corollas yellow, throat commonly red-spotted, symmetric bilaterally, bilabiate;

tube-throat widely funnel-shaped, 18-26 mm, protruding 10-15 mm beyond calyx margin;

limb expanded 22-30 mm;

styles prominently hirsute to villous;

anthers not protruding, glabrous.

Flowers several to many in terminal racemes, on long pedicels, or solitary in dwarf forms;

calyx 5-toothed, irregular, the upper tooth much the largest, the 2 lower ones tending to fold upward;

corolla 1-4 cm. long, strongly bilabiate, with flaring throat, yellow with maroon dots or splotches on the pubescent lower lip;

stamens 4.

Fruit(s)

Capsules 8-10 mm, included.

Capsule.

Erythranthe decora

Erythranthe guttata

Flowering time May-August March-September
Habitat Moist to wet open areas from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains. Wet places, from sea level to middle elevations in the mountains.
Distribution
Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to southwestern Oregon, also in northern Idaho.
[WildflowerSearch map]
Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the northern Great Plains.
[WildflowerSearch map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
E. alsinoides, E. ampliata, E. arvensis, E. breviflora, E. breweri, E. caespitosa, E. cardinalis, E. dentata, E. floribunda, E. grandis, E. guttata, E. inflatula, E. jungermannioides, E. lewisii, E. microphylla, E. moschata, E. nasuta, E. patula, E. primuloides, E. ptilota, E. pulsiferae, E. scouleri, E. suksdorfii, E. washingtonensis
E. alsinoides, E. ampliata, E. arvensis, E. breviflora, E. breweri, E. caespitosa, E. cardinalis, E. decora, E. dentata, E. floribunda, E. grandis, E. inflatula, E. jungermannioides, E. lewisii, E. microphylla, E. moschata, E. nasuta, E. patula, E. primuloides, E. ptilota, E. pulsiferae, E. scouleri, E. suksdorfii, E. washingtonensis
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