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

thin-sepal monkeyflower

Habit Perennials, rhizomatous, rooting at proximal nodes, sometimes producing creeping, small-leaved runners, forming matted colonies, rhizomes filiform. Annuals, filiform-taprooted.
Stems

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

prostrate to ascending-erect, sharply bent at basal nodes, simple or few-branched, 5–25 cm, glandular-puberulent to glandular-villous, hairs 0.1–0.8 mm, vitreous, flattened, multicellular, gland-tipped.

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, largest at mid stem;

petiole 6–30 mm;

blade pinnately veined, broadly lanceolate to ovate, 10–35 × 10–30 mm, distinctly membranous, base cuneate to shallowly cordate, margins coarsely dentate to shallowly denticulate or entire, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glandular-puberulent to glandular-villous, hairs 0.1–0.8 mm, vitreous, flattened, multicellular, gland-tipped, glandular.

Flowers

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

herkogamous, 1–6, from proximal to distal nodes.

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.

light yellow, throat and abaxial lobes red- or purple-spotted, sometimes with small white patches, bilaterally symmetric, weakly bilabiate;

tube-throat funnelform, 10–14 mm, exserted beyond calyx margin;

lobes obovate-oblong, apex rounded to truncate or notched.

Fruiting pedicels

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

divergent at right angles from stem, usually closely paired, 10–45 mm, negatively phototropic, causing capsules to be pressed against a cliff face or crevice at time of dehiscence, glandular-puberulent to glandular-villous, hairs 0.1–0.8 mm, vitreous, flattened, multicellular, gland-tipped.

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.

angled, tubular-campanulate, slightly inflated, 5–7 mm, margins distinctly toothed or lobed, sparsely stipitate-glandular, lobes pronounced, erect.

Capsules

included, 4–5 mm.

included, 3–6 mm.

Anthers

included, glabrous.

included, glabrous.

2n

= 32.

Erythranthe caespitosa

Erythranthe hymenophylla

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Apr–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Alpine meadows and slopes, stream banks, wet rocks in streams, wet crevices, talus. Steep, seasonally moist, basalt cliffs with west or southwest exposure, mesic coniferous forests.
Elevation 1100–2000(–2300) m. (3600–6600(–7500) ft.) 800–1300 m. (2600–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR
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.)

In the protologue, R. J. Meinke observed that plants of Erythranthe hymenophylla have reflexed fruiting pedicels that increase seed dispersal back onto the vertical cliff wall, the characteristic habitat of the species. The hanging habit of E. hymenophylla is reflected in a sharp (90º to 180º) bend in the basal nodes and the long pedicels that are closely paired and divergent in parallel at about right angles from the stem. The species also is characterized by it very short calyx to corolla length, relatively short capsules, and large seeds.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 409. FNA vol. 17, p. 397.
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. arvensis, 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. 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 hymenophyllus
Name authority (Greene) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 43. (2012) (Meinke) G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 38. (2012)
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