Burke: Erythranthe grandis vs. Erythranthe alsinoides

	Erythranthe grandis	Erythranthe alsinoides
	large monkey-flower	chickweed monkey-flower, wing-stem monkey-flower
Habit	Rhizomatous perennials, occasionally rooting at nodes nearest base; stems usually 50-120 cm, erect or decumbent basally, branched, commonly hollow, densely hirsute to soft-hirtellous to long-hairy, hairs often crinkly, glandular or not, or sometimes villous-glandular without hirtellous hairs.	Annual, glandular-hairy to somewhat glabrous (smooth), growing to 0.5-3 dm. in height. The plants are slender, and have either a simple or freely-branching form. Often found growing in uniformly dense patches. The stems frequently appear somewhat reddish.
Leaves	Leaves basal and cauline, basal leaves generally not persistent; petioles 10-80 mm, becoming reduced distally; blade ovate to broadly elliptic, 25-60 mm long and 20-40 cm broad, palmate or nearly pinnate venation with 5-7 veins, base truncate to nearly cruneate to nearly cordate, margins crenulate to toothed, occasionally sublyrate near base, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces of distalmost leaves hairy as stems.	Opposite, slightly to evidently-toothed, 3-5 prominent veins on the upper surface. The blades are 0.5-2.5 cm. long, with a petiole of more or less equal length.
Flowers	Inflorescence racemose, bracteate, flowers 8-26; fruiting pedicels 10-35 mm, hairy as stems; calyx straight-erect or nodding at 45-100 degrees, ovate to bell-shaped, inflated, compressed along sagittal plane, 15-22 mm, hairy as stems, throat closing; corollas yellow with red spots inside, symmetric bilaterally, bilabiate; tube-throat widely funnel-shaped, 16-24 mm, protruding 10-15 mm beyond calyx margin, limb widely expanded; styles hirtellous; anthers not protruding, glabrous.	The yellow corollas fuse to form an upper and lower lip (bilabiate), and grow 8-14 mm. long. A conspicuous reddish-brown blotch is found on the lower and sometimes the upper lip. Individual flowers are attached to the stem by a long pedicel.
Fruit(s)	Capsules 8-12 mm, included.	Capsule.

	Erythranthe grandis	Erythranthe alsinoides
Identification notes		The reddish-brown blotch on the lower lip is very diagnostic along with its annual life cycle and tendency to be found in moss mats. The middle lobe of the lower lip tends to be the longest and somewhat curved backwards (deflexed). The lower two teeth of the calyx tend to be more rounded and longer than the upper three calyx teeth.
Flowering time	May-August	April-June
Habitat	Coastal areas including bluffs, dunes, wet cliff faces, marshes, ditches, lake and pond margins, and stream banks.	Shady, vernally (springtime) moist places on cliffs and ledges, especially at low elevations; often growing in moss mats.
Distribution	Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California. [WildflowerSearch map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California. [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. decora, E. dentata, E. floribunda, 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. ampliata, E. arvensis, E. breviflora, E. breweri, E. caespitosa, E. cardinalis, E. decora, 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
Web links	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Erythranthe alsinoides

large monkey-flower

chickweed monkey-flower, wing-stem monkey-flower

Habit

Rhizomatous perennials, occasionally rooting at nodes nearest base; stems usually 50-120 cm, erect or decumbent basally, branched, commonly hollow, densely hirsute to soft-hirtellous to long-hairy, hairs often crinkly, glandular or not, or sometimes villous-glandular without hirtellous hairs.

Annual, glandular-hairy to somewhat glabrous (smooth), growing to 0.5-3 dm. in height. The plants are slender, and have either a simple or freely-branching form. Often found growing in uniformly dense patches. The stems frequently appear somewhat reddish.

Leaves

Leaves basal and cauline, basal leaves generally not persistent;

petioles 10-80 mm, becoming reduced distally;

blade ovate to broadly elliptic, 25-60 mm long and 20-40 cm broad, palmate or nearly pinnate venation with 5-7 veins, base truncate to nearly cruneate to nearly cordate, margins crenulate to toothed, occasionally sublyrate near base, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces of distalmost leaves hairy as stems.

Opposite, slightly to evidently-toothed, 3-5 prominent veins on the upper surface. The blades are 0.5-2.5 cm. long, with a petiole of more or less equal length.

Flowers

Inflorescence racemose, bracteate, flowers 8-26; fruiting pedicels 10-35 mm, hairy as stems;

calyx straight-erect or nodding at 45-100 degrees, ovate to bell-shaped, inflated, compressed along sagittal plane, 15-22 mm, hairy as stems, throat closing;

corollas yellow with red spots inside, symmetric bilaterally, bilabiate;

tube-throat widely funnel-shaped, 16-24 mm, protruding 10-15 mm beyond calyx margin, limb widely expanded;

styles hirtellous;

anthers not protruding, glabrous.

The yellow corollas fuse to form an upper and lower lip (bilabiate), and grow 8-14 mm. long. A conspicuous reddish-brown blotch is found on the lower and sometimes the upper lip. Individual flowers are attached to the stem by a long pedicel.

Fruit(s)

Capsules 8-12 mm, included.

Capsule.

Erythranthe grandis

Erythranthe alsinoides

Identification notes

The reddish-brown blotch on the lower lip is very diagnostic along with its annual life cycle and tendency to be found in moss mats. The middle lobe of the lower lip tends to be the longest and somewhat curved backwards (deflexed). The lower two teeth of the calyx tend to be more rounded and longer than the upper three calyx teeth.

Flowering time

May-August

April-June

Habitat

Coastal areas including bluffs, dunes, wet cliff faces, marshes, ditches, lake and pond margins, and stream banks.

Shady, vernally (springtime) moist places on cliffs and ledges, especially at low elevations; often growing in moss mats.

Distribution