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California blushing monkeyflower

cardinal monkey flower, scarlet monkey-flower

Habit Perennials, rhizomatous. Perennials, rhizomatous.
Stems

erect, usually simple, 25–90 cm, stipitate-glandular to glandular-villous.

usually erect to ascending, freely branched, 25–75 cm, ± glandular-villous or glabrate.

Leaves

cauline;

petiole 0 mm;

blade palmately veined, elliptic to ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, (20–)30–90 × 5–25(–35) mm, base rounded to cuneate, subclasping, margins denticulate, subentire, or entire, apex acute, surfaces stipitate-glandular to glandular-villous.

usually cauline;

petiole 0 mm;

blade palmately veined, elliptic-ovate to ovate or obovate, 20–90(–110) × 10–38(–60) mm, thick, base acuminate, subclasping, margins irregularly serrate to dentate, apex acute, surfaces ± glandular-villous to glabrate.

Flowers

herkogamous, 2–8, axillary at leafy medial to distal nodes.

herkogamous, 2–12, axillary at leafy medial to distal nodes.

Styles

glabrous.

glabrous.

Corollas

light pink, darker pink stripes down middle of each lobe, abaxial 3 lobes with a white basal patch, palate ridges yellow, bilaterally symmetric, strongly bilabiate;

tube-throat funnelform, 20–30 mm, exserted beyond calyx margins;

lobe apex usually truncate, shallowly retuse, throat open.

scarlet to orange-red, rarely yellow, throat yellowish, red-striped, palate red, yellow-villous, not spotted or striped, bilaterally symmetric, strongly bilabiate;

tube-throat funnelform, (15–)20–30 mm, exserted beyond calyx margin;

throat open.

Fruiting pedicels

45–90 mm.

30–90(–120) mm.

Fruiting calyces

cylindric-campanulate, not inflated, 15–22 mm, stipitate-glandular to glandular-villous, tube 14–19 × 6–8 mm, lobes subequal to distinctly unequal, ovate, apex linear-caudate.

cylindric to cylindric-campanulate, not inflated, 17–28(–30) mm, hispid-hirsute to hirsute, lobes 4–7 mm, ovate to ovate-deltate, apex attenuate-acute.

Capsules

included, 7–13 mm.

included, 10–16 mm.

Anthers

included, white-villous, thecae spreading.

exserted, white-villous, thecae spreading.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Erythranthe erubescens

Erythranthe cardinalis

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Springs and seeps, meadows, cliffs, steep rocky slopes, ridges. Moist to wet places along streams, lakes, creek beds, canyon, arroyo, and ravine bottoms, around springs and seepage areas, flood plains, moist clearings and woods edges.
Elevation (1400–)1800–3000(–3500) m. ((4600–)5900–9800(–11500) ft.) (5–)50–2300(–2800) m. ((0–)200–7500(–9200) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Erythranthe erubescens was long identified as E. lewisii but is distinct in its light pink corollas (versus mostly magenta-rose to purplish in E. lewisii), more broadly cylindric calyx tube [14–19 × 6–8 mm versus 12–15(–17) × 9–12 mm], and its geographic range in the Sierra Nevada of California (versus widespread from southern Alaska south to northwestern California, northern Utah, eastern Nevada, and northern Colorado in E. lewisii). The two are genetically isolated and phylogenetically distinct (see summary of evidence in G. L. Nesom 2014b).

In California, Erythranthe erubescens ranges from Modoc, Plumas, and Tehama counties south to Fresno County; in Nevada, it is known only from Washoe County and Carson City.

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

Yellow-flowered populations of Erythranthe cardinalis occur on Cedros Island, Baja California, and in the Siskiyou Mountains of Oregon (R. K. Vickery 1992). They have been documented also on Santa Cruz Island, California.

Populations of Erythranthe cardinalis in King and Yakima counties, Washington, are introduced and naturalized.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 393. FNA vol. 17, p. 393.
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. 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. 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. 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 cardinalis, M. cardinalis var. exsul, M. cardinalis var. griseus, M. cardinalis var. rigens
Name authority G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2014-31: 12, figs. 11–13. (2014) (Douglas ex Bentham) Spach: Hist. Nat. Vég. 9: 313. (1840)
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