FNA: Diplacus mephiticus vs. Diplacus cusickii

	Diplacus mephiticus	Diplacus cusickii
	foul odor monkeyflower, skunky monkeyflower	Cusick's monkey-flower
Habit	Herbs, annual.	Herbs, annual.
Stems	erect, (20–)30–150(–180) mm, glandular-pubescent and viscid-villous.	erect to erect-ascending, 10–80 mm, distal internodes 2–20 mm, minutely glandular-puberulent.
Leaves	usually cauline, relatively even-sized; petiole absent; blade ovate to oblong or narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, narrowly oblong, or linear, 10–25 × 1–5 mm, margins entire, plane, not ciliate, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, surfaces usually glandular-pubescent and (at least along veins) viscid-villous.	basal and cauline or usually cauline, relatively even-sized or gradually larger distally; petiole absent, proximal base short petiole-like, 1–5 mm; blade ovate to broadly elliptic-ovate, (10–)15–25(–35) × 4–17 mm, margins entire, plane, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous or adaxial minutely glandular-puberulent.
Pedicels	1–3 mm in fruit.	1–1.5 mm in fruit.
Flowers	2 per node, or 1 or 2 per node on 1 plant, chasmogamous.	2 per node, or 1 or 2 per node on 1 plant, chasmogamous.
Styles	glabrous or sparsely glandular-puberulent.	pubescent, at least on distal 1/2.
Corollas	of 2 color forms: (a) dark magenta, purplish, or reddish with palate ridges or whole throat floor yellow, red- or purple-dotted, lateral lobes yellowish inside and (b) yellow with red or purple spots on floor, tube-throat 8–12(–15) mm, tube 1.3–1.9 mm diam. at filament insertion, limb 5–12(–15) mm diam., bilabiate.	magenta or rose purple, tube yellow, throat yellow, throat and distal tube red-spotted on floor, palate ridges yellow, tube-throat 13–16(–19) mm, limb 16–24 mm diam., bilabiate.
Calyces	symmetrically attached to pedicels, slightly inflated in fruit, (3–)4–7(–9) mm, glandular-pubescent and viscid-villous (at least along veins), lobes subequal, apex acute to acuminate, ribs dark green to purplish, intercostal areas whitish.	symmetrically attached to pedicels, not inflated in fruit, 7–10 mm, glabrous or minutely stipitate-glandular, lobes unequal, apex linear-acuminate, sharp-pointed, ribs green distally, intercostal areas whitish.
Capsules	5–8 mm.	10–15 mm.
Anthers	exserted, short-hirsute.	included, glabrous or sparsely hirsutulous.
Stigmas	exserted or at opening of corolla tube-throat, lobes subequal to unequal, abaxial to 2 times adaxial.	exserted, lobes subequal.

	Diplacus mephiticus	Diplacus cusickii
Phenology	Flowering (May–)Jun–Aug(–Sep).	Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat	Openings in sagebrush, disturbed slopes, granite outcrops, serpentine substrates, gravelly and sandy soils, sandy moraines, pumice flats, gravelly washes, meadows, shadscale and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands.	Slopes, canyons, washes, ditches, sand talus, diatomaceous slopes, basalt outcrops, black volcanic gravel, volcanic ash and sand, sagebrush areas.
Elevation	1300–3700 m. (4300–12100 ft.)	800–1000 m. (2600–3300 ft.)
Distribution	CA; NV [WildflowerSearch map]	ID; OR [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Diplacus mephiticus occurs in eastern California and west-central Nevada. Various synonyms treated here are in agreement with D. M. Thompson (2005). Mimulus coccineus (mostly from Eldorado to Tulare counties, California, and, apparently, including Eunanus angustifolius Greene from Mt. Rose, Nevada) includes relatively small, tufted plants at high elevations with relatively small calyces and relatively small, dark red-purple, strongly bilabiate corollas with prominently exserted stamens. Mimulus densus (mostly in Nevada and in Lassen, Nevada, and Plumas counties, California) includes taller plants at lower elevations with a strong tendency to produce populations with all individuals with larger, yellow, nearly regular corollas with more nearly included stamens. Typical Diplacus mephiticus has moderate-sized plants at medium elevations with magenta, bilabiate corollas. The specific epithet mephiticus alludes to the musky odor of the plants; this has also been noted in plants of Mimulus coccineus and M. densus. Diplacus nanus, in which D. M. Thompson (2005) included D. mephiticus as a variety, apparently does not produce a mephitic odor. Diplacus cusickii also produces a mephitic odor (W. L. Ezell 1971). The later homonym Mimulus angustifolius (Greene) A. L. Grant 1925, not Hochstetter ex Richard 1850, based on Eunanus angustifolius, pertains here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Diplacus cusickii is endemic to northern Malheur County, Oregon, and along the Snake River in Ada and Owyhee counties, Idaho. Its narrow geographic range reflects the segregation of the more widely distributed D. cusickioides. D. M. Thompson (2005) noted that collections in northern Malheur County, Oregon, were intermediate between Mimulus cusickii and M. nanus; the type of M. cusickii is from this area and is among the narrowly endemic, supposedly putative intermediates (G. L. Nesom 2013c). These plants have abruptly and sharply acuminate leaf apices like the more widespread form traditionally identified as Diplacus cusickii; they differ in having glabrous leaf surfaces. Typical D. nanus occurs in close sympatry, without intergradation, with the populations in northern Malheur County. Because of their distinctive morphology and coherent geography, the northern Malheur County plants are reasonably recognized as a distinct species. The more widely distributed form formerly identified as D. cusickii now is identified as D. cusickioides. Populations of D. cusickii in the narrow sense along the Snake River in Ada and Owyhee counties, Idaho, may have dispersed there from the Oregon center. Some plants of D. cusickioides in the Leslie Gulch area of east-central Malheur County have somewhat reduced vestiture, approaching that of D. cusickii. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 17, p. 441.	FNA vol. 17, p. 439.
Parent taxa	Phrymaceae > Diplacus	Phrymaceae > Diplacus
Sibling taxa	D. angustatus, D. aridus, D. aurantiacus, D. bicolor, D. bigelovii, D. bolanderi, D. brandegeei, D. brevipes, D. calycinus, D. cascadensis, D. clevelandii, D. clivicola, D. compactus, D. congdonii, D. constrictus, D. cusickii, D. cusickioides, D. deschutesensis, D. douglasii, D. fremontii, D. grandiflorus, D. graniticola, D. jepsonii, D. johnstonii, D. kelloggii, D. layneae, D. leptaleus, D. linearis, D. longiflorus, D. mohavensis, D. nanus, D. ovatus, D. parryi, D. parviflorus, D. pictus, D. pulchellus, D. puniceus, D. pygmaeus, D. rattanii, D. rupicola, D. rutilus, D. thompsonii, D. torreyi, D. traskiae, D. tricolor, D. vandenbergensis, D. viscidus	D. angustatus, D. aridus, D. aurantiacus, D. bicolor, D. bigelovii, D. bolanderi, D. brandegeei, D. brevipes, D. calycinus, D. cascadensis, D. clevelandii, D. clivicola, D. compactus, D. congdonii, D. constrictus, D. cusickioides, D. deschutesensis, D. douglasii, D. fremontii, D. grandiflorus, D. graniticola, D. jepsonii, D. johnstonii, D. kelloggii, D. layneae, D. leptaleus, D. linearis, D. longiflorus, D. mephiticus, D. mohavensis, D. nanus, D. ovatus, D. parryi, D. parviflorus, D. pictus, D. pulchellus, D. puniceus, D. pygmaeus, D. rattanii, D. rupicola, D. rutilus, D. thompsonii, D. torreyi, D. traskiae, D. tricolor, D. vandenbergensis, D. viscidus
Synonyms	Mimulus mephiticus, M. coccineus, M. coccineus var. wolfii, M. densus, M. nanus var. mephiticus, M. reifschneiderae, M. stamineus, M. washoensis, M. wolfii	Eunanus cusickii, Mimulus cusickii
Name authority	(Greene) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 29. (2012)	(Greene) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 28. (2012)
Web links	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: OR Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Diplacus cusickii

foul odor monkeyflower, skunky monkeyflower

Cusick's monkey-flower

Habit

Herbs, annual.

Stems

erect, (20–)30–150(–180) mm, glandular-pubescent and viscid-villous.

erect to erect-ascending, 10–80 mm, distal internodes 2–20 mm, minutely glandular-puberulent.

Leaves

usually cauline, relatively even-sized;

petiole absent;

blade ovate to oblong or narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, narrowly oblong, or linear, 10–25 × 1–5 mm, margins entire, plane, not ciliate, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, surfaces usually glandular-pubescent and (at least along veins) viscid-villous.

basal and cauline or usually cauline, relatively even-sized or gradually larger distally;

petiole absent, proximal base short petiole-like, 1–5 mm;

blade ovate to broadly elliptic-ovate, (10–)15–25(–35) × 4–17 mm, margins entire, plane, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous or adaxial minutely glandular-puberulent.

Pedicels

1–3 mm in fruit.

1–1.5 mm in fruit.

Flowers

2 per node, or 1 or 2 per node on 1 plant, chasmogamous.

Styles

glabrous or sparsely glandular-puberulent.

pubescent, at least on distal 1/2.

Corollas

of 2 color forms: (a) dark magenta, purplish, or reddish with palate ridges or whole throat floor yellow, red- or purple-dotted, lateral lobes yellowish inside and (b) yellow with red or purple spots on floor, tube-throat 8–12(–15) mm, tube 1.3–1.9 mm diam. at filament insertion, limb 5–12(–15) mm diam., bilabiate.

magenta or rose purple, tube yellow, throat yellow, throat and distal tube red-spotted on floor, palate ridges yellow, tube-throat 13–16(–19) mm, limb 16–24 mm diam., bilabiate.

Calyces

symmetrically attached to pedicels, slightly inflated in fruit, (3–)4–7(–9) mm, glandular-pubescent and viscid-villous (at least along veins), lobes subequal, apex acute to acuminate, ribs dark green to purplish, intercostal areas whitish.

symmetrically attached to pedicels, not inflated in fruit, 7–10 mm, glabrous or minutely stipitate-glandular, lobes unequal, apex linear-acuminate, sharp-pointed, ribs green distally, intercostal areas whitish.

Capsules

5–8 mm.

10–15 mm.

Anthers

exserted, short-hirsute.

included, glabrous or sparsely hirsutulous.

Stigmas

exserted or at opening of corolla tube-throat, lobes subequal to unequal, abaxial to 2 times adaxial.

exserted, lobes subequal.

Diplacus mephiticus

Diplacus cusickii

Phenology

Flowering (May–)Jun–Aug(–Sep).

Flowering May–Jul.

Habitat

Openings in sagebrush, disturbed slopes, granite outcrops, serpentine substrates, gravelly and sandy soils, sandy moraines, pumice flats, gravelly washes, meadows, shadscale and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands.

Slopes, canyons, washes, ditches, sand talus, diatomaceous slopes, basalt outcrops, black volcanic gravel, volcanic ash and sand, sagebrush areas.

Elevation

1300–3700 m. (4300–12100 ft.)

800–1000 m. (2600–3300 ft.)

Distribution

CA; NV

[WildflowerSearch map]

ID; OR

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Diplacus mephiticus occurs in eastern California and west-central Nevada.

Various synonyms treated here are in agreement with D. M. Thompson (2005). Mimulus coccineus (mostly from Eldorado to Tulare counties, California, and, apparently, including Eunanus angustifolius Greene from Mt. Rose, Nevada) includes relatively small, tufted plants at high elevations with relatively small calyces and relatively small, dark red-purple, strongly bilabiate corollas with prominently exserted stamens. Mimulus densus (mostly in Nevada and in Lassen, Nevada, and Plumas counties, California) includes taller plants at lower elevations with a strong tendency to produce populations with all individuals with larger, yellow, nearly regular corollas with more nearly included stamens. Typical Diplacus mephiticus has moderate-sized plants at medium elevations with magenta, bilabiate corollas.

The specific epithet mephiticus alludes to the musky odor of the plants; this has also been noted in plants of Mimulus coccineus and M. densus. Diplacus nanus, in which D. M. Thompson (2005) included D. mephiticus as a variety, apparently does not produce a mephitic odor. Diplacus cusickii also produces a mephitic odor (W. L. Ezell 1971).

The later homonym Mimulus angustifolius (Greene) A. L. Grant 1925, not Hochstetter ex Richard 1850, based on Eunanus angustifolius, pertains here.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Diplacus cusickii is endemic to northern Malheur County, Oregon, and along the Snake River in Ada and Owyhee counties, Idaho. Its narrow geographic range reflects the segregation of the more widely distributed D. cusickioides.

D. M. Thompson (2005) noted that collections in northern Malheur County, Oregon, were intermediate between Mimulus cusickii and M. nanus; the type of M. cusickii is from this area and is among the narrowly endemic, supposedly putative intermediates (G. L. Nesom 2013c). These plants have abruptly and sharply acuminate leaf apices like the more widespread form traditionally identified as Diplacus cusickii; they differ in having glabrous leaf surfaces. Typical D. nanus occurs in close sympatry, without intergradation, with the populations in northern Malheur County. Because of their distinctive morphology and coherent geography, the northern Malheur County plants are reasonably recognized as a distinct species. The more widely distributed form formerly identified as D. cusickii now is identified as D. cusickioides. Populations of D. cusickii in the narrow sense along the Snake River in Ada and Owyhee counties, Idaho, may have dispersed there from the Oregon center. Some plants of D. cusickioides in the Leslie Gulch area of east-central Malheur County have somewhat reduced vestiture, approaching that of D. cusickii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source

FNA vol. 17, p. 441.

FNA vol. 17, p. 439.

Parent taxa

Phrymaceae > Diplacus

Sibling taxa

D. angustatus, D. aridus, D. aurantiacus, D. bicolor, D. bigelovii, D. bolanderi, D. brandegeei, D. brevipes, D. calycinus, D. cascadensis, D. clevelandii, D. clivicola, D. compactus, D. congdonii, D. constrictus, D. cusickii, D. cusickioides, D. deschutesensis, D. douglasii, D. fremontii, D. grandiflorus, D. graniticola, D. jepsonii, D. johnstonii, D. kelloggii, D. layneae, D. leptaleus, D. linearis, D. longiflorus, D. mohavensis, D. nanus, D. ovatus, D. parryi, D. parviflorus, D. pictus, D. pulchellus, D. puniceus, D. pygmaeus, D. rattanii, D. rupicola, D. rutilus, D. thompsonii, D. torreyi, D. traskiae, D. tricolor, D. vandenbergensis, D. viscidus

D. angustatus, D. aridus, D. aurantiacus, D. bicolor, D. bigelovii, D. bolanderi, D. brandegeei, D. brevipes, D. calycinus, D. cascadensis, D. clevelandii, D. clivicola, D. compactus, D. congdonii, D. constrictus, D. cusickioides, D. deschutesensis, D. douglasii, D. fremontii, D. grandiflorus, D. graniticola, D. jepsonii, D. johnstonii, D. kelloggii, D. layneae, D. leptaleus, D. linearis, D. longiflorus, D. mephiticus, D. mohavensis, D. nanus, D. ovatus, D. parryi, D. parviflorus, D. pictus, D. pulchellus, D. puniceus, D. pygmaeus, D. rattanii, D. rupicola, D. rutilus, D. thompsonii, D. torreyi, D. traskiae, D. tricolor, D. vandenbergensis, D. viscidus

Synonyms

Mimulus mephiticus, M. coccineus, M. coccineus var. wolfii, M. densus, M. nanus var. mephiticus, M. reifschneiderae, M. stamineus, M. washoensis, M. wolfii

Eunanus cusickii, Mimulus cusickii

Name authority

(Greene) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 29. (2012)

(Greene) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 28. (2012)

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, OregonFlora

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Diplacus mephiticus

Diplacus cusickii

Diplacus mephiticus

Diplacus cusickii