Flora of North America species comparison

The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Erythranthe caespitosa

Erythranthe arvensis

large mountain monkey-flower, mountain monkeyflower, Olympic monkeyflower, subalpine monkeyflower

field monkey-flower, villous-bract monkeyflower, western monkey-flower
Habit Perennials, rhizomatous, rooting at proximal nodes, sometimes producing creeping, small-leaved runners, forming matted colonies, rhizomes filiform. Annuals, taprooted or fibrous-rooted, sometimes rooting at proximal cauline nodes if decumbent.
Stems

procumbent or decumbent to decumbent-ascending, delicate, usually in masses, terete or flattish, branched, 3–10 cm, glabrous, minutely hirtellous, or stipitate-glandular.

erect to decumbent-ascending, simple or branched from proximal to medial nodes, usually 4-angled, fistulose to very narrow, 5–70 cm, glabrous, sometimes minutely hirtellous in inflorescence, hairs deflexed, eglandular.
Leaves

basal and cauline;

petiole: proximals 2–5 mm, distals 0 mm;

blade often purple beneath, palmately 3-veined, orbicular to narrowly elliptic or ovate, proximals usually sublyrate, 3–12 mm, becoming larger distally, base cuneate to a short petiole, margins entire, mucronulate, or barely denticulate, apex obtuse, surfaces sparsely to moderately puberulent, hairs minute, stipitate-glandular.

basal and cauline or basal not persistent, often largest at mid stem or above, reduced in size distally;

petiole 3–20(–90) mm, distals 0 mm;

blade palmately 3–5-veined, ovate to orbicular, orbicular-ovate, oblong-ovate, or (middle and distal cauline) broadly orbicular to depressed-ovate or nearly reniform, (5–)10–35(–45) × 6–26(–50) mm, distal closely paired, auriculate-subclasping, base rounded to truncate, subcordate, or shallowly cordate, margins denticulate or subentire to distinctly dentate, on larger plants proximal characteristically lacerate-lobed to pinnatifid at margin base, apex rounded, surfaces glabrous except for bracts densely villous abaxially, sometimes also adaxially, hairs long, sometimes vitreous, flattened, eglandular, multicellular.
Flowers

herkogamous, 1–3, from distal nodes, commonly solitary.

plesiogamous, 3–8(–16), from remote distal nodes, chasmogamous or cleistogamous.
Styles

minutely hirtellous.

glabrous.
Corollas

yellow, dark red-spotted, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate;

tube-throat broadly funnelform to cylindric-funnelform, 15–18 mm, exserted beyond calyx margin;

abaxial limb with deflexed-spreading lobes, adaxial with ascending lobes, palate partially closed.

yellow, usually red-spotted, weakly bilaterally or nearly radially symmetric, weakly bilabiate or nearly regular;

tube-throat cylindric-funnelform, (7–)8–12 mm, exserted (0–)1–2(–3) mm beyond calyx margin;

limb expanded 5–10 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

10–30(–40) mm, sparsely to moderately villous, hairs short, gland-tipped, sometimes hirtellous.

5–40(–90) mm, longer than subtending leaves, glabrous.
Fruiting calyces

broadly campanulate, inflated, sagittally compressed, 7–15 mm, glabrous, minutely hirtellous, or stipitate-glandular, throat closing, proximalmost lobe pair upcurving, distalmost 3–5 mm, prominently protruding.

red-dotted or not, ovate-campanulate, inflated, sagittally compressed, (7–)9–14 mm, minutely hirtellous, throat closing or not, remaining open, lobes upcurving weakly, adaxial lobe not distinctly longer than abaxial, not falcate.
Capsules

included, 4–5 mm.

included, stipitate, (5–)6–7 mm.
Anthers

included, glabrous.

included, glabrous.
2n

= 28.

Erythranthe caespitosa

Erythranthe arvensis
Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Apr–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Alpine meadows and slopes, stream banks, wet rocks in streams, wet crevices, talus. Hills, ridges, clay banks, stream banks, moist woods.
Elevation 1100–2000(–2300) m. (3600–6600(–7500) ft.) 30–1900(–2300) m. (100–6200(–7500) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Erythranthe caespitosa is endemic to northwestern and central Washington (Cascade and Olympic mountains) and adjacent British Columbia (Cascades, Selkirk Mountains and Chilliwack Valley, Coast Mountains). The plants have consistently small leaves with subentire margins, and the stems are consistently procumbent to decumbent-ascending, usually forming matted colonies. Erythranthe caespitosa and E. tilingii appear to be sympatric in counties of northwestern Washington, but this needs to be verified in the field.

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

Erythranthe arvensis usually is easily recognized, characterized by its annual duration (but commonly rooting at proximal cauline nodes, suggestive of a rhizomatous habit), glabrous stems with nodes relatively few and remotely spaced, depressed-ovate leaves with margins often sublyrate (lacerate-lobed to subpinnatifid) at the base, distal leaves and bracts densely villous with vitreous eglandular hairs, other leaves glabrous, and corollas varying in size from relatively small but perhaps chasmogamous (the type of Mimulus arvensis) to even smaller (cleistogamous; the type of M. micranthus). The breeding system is consistently autogamous. The relatively short and even-sized calyx lobes that do not turn upward to close the orifice have been considered diagnostic of E. arvensis. This feature is evident in some plants, but others (perhaps reflecting gene flow from other species) have a longer adaxial calyx lobe and abaxial lobes that turn upward variably.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 409. FNA vol. 17, p. 420.
Parent taxa Phrymaceae > Erythranthe Phrymaceae > Erythranthe
Sibling taxa
E. acutidens, E. alsinoides, E. ampliata, E. androsacea, E. arenaria, E. arenicola, E. arvensis, E. barbata, E. bicolor, E. brachystylis, E. breviflora, E. breweri, E. calcicola, E. calciphila, E. cardinalis, E. carsonensis, E. charlestonensis, E. chinatiensis, E. cinnabarina, E. corallina, E. cordata, E. decora, E. dentata, E. diffusa, E. discolor, E. eastwoodiae, E. erubescens, E. exigua, E. filicaulis, E. filicifolia, E. floribunda, E. gemmipara, E. geniculata, E. geyeri, E. glaucescens, E. gracilipes, E. grandis, E. grayi, E. guttata, E. hallii, E. hardhamiae, E. hymenophylla, E. inamoena, E. inconspicua, E. inflatula, E. jungermannioides, E. laciniata, E. latidens, E. lewisii, E. linearifolia, E. marmorata, E. michiganensis, E. microphylla, E. minor, E. montioides, E. moschata, E. nasuta, E. norrisii, E. nudata, E. palmeri, E. pardalis, E. parishii, E. parvula, E. patula, E. percaulis, E. primuloides, E. ptilota, E. pulsiferae, E. purpurea, E. regni, E. rhodopetra, E. rubella, E. scouleri, E. shevockii, E. sierrae, E. suksdorfii, E. taylorii, E. thermalis, E. tilingii, E. trinitiensis, E. unimaculata, E. utahensis, E. verbenacea, E. washingtonensis, E. willisii
E. acutidens, E. alsinoides, E. ampliata, E. androsacea, E. arenaria, E. arenicola, E. barbata, E. bicolor, E. brachystylis, E. breviflora, E. breweri, E. caespitosa, E. calcicola, E. calciphila, E. cardinalis, E. carsonensis, E. charlestonensis, E. chinatiensis, E. cinnabarina, E. corallina, E. cordata, E. decora, E. dentata, E. diffusa, E. discolor, E. eastwoodiae, E. erubescens, E. exigua, E. filicaulis, E. filicifolia, E. floribunda, E. gemmipara, E. geniculata, E. geyeri, E. glaucescens, E. gracilipes, E. grandis, E. grayi, E. guttata, E. hallii, E. hardhamiae, E. hymenophylla, E. inamoena, E. inconspicua, E. inflatula, E. jungermannioides, E. laciniata, E. latidens, E. lewisii, E. linearifolia, E. marmorata, E. michiganensis, E. microphylla, E. minor, E. montioides, E. moschata, E. nasuta, E. norrisii, E. nudata, E. palmeri, E. pardalis, E. parishii, E. parvula, E. patula, E. percaulis, E. primuloides, E. ptilota, E. pulsiferae, E. purpurea, E. regni, E. rhodopetra, E. rubella, E. scouleri, E. shevockii, E. sierrae, E. suksdorfii, E. taylorii, E. thermalis, E. tilingii, E. trinitiensis, E. unimaculata, E. utahensis, E. verbenacea, E. washingtonensis, E. willisii
Synonyms Mimulus scouleri var. caespitosus, M. caespitosus, M. tilingii var. caespitosus Mimulus arvensis, M. guttatus subsp. arvensis, M. guttatus var. arvensis, M. guttatus subsp. micranthus, M. langsdorffii var. arvensis, M. longulus, M. micranthus
Name authority (Greene) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 43. (2012) (Greene) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 43. (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).



Type/paste one or more Latin names into the boxes above; matching taxa will show up below the box as you type. You can use the up/down arrow keys to move through the list.

(If the plant you're looking for doesn't show up in the auto-complete list, that means it either isn't described in Flora of North America yet, or it's listed under a synonym. And please note that Flora of North America is still missing several plant families, including Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Boraginaceae, and Polemoniaceae.)

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, OregonFlora, UW Burke Herbarium

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:
Northwest Wildflowers