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California blushing monkeyflower

party-color monkeyflower, two-color monkeyflower

Habit Perennials, rhizomatous. Annuals, taprooted.
Stems

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

erect, simple or branched from basal nodes, 5–12 cm, sparsely glandular-pubescent, internodes elongate, distinct.

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.

cauline, basal not persistent;

petiole 0–2 mm;

blade 1-veined or palmately 3-veined (in broader ones), linear to lanceolate or ovate, 5–15 × 1–4 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

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

herkogamous, 1–8, from distal or 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.

yellow and tube-throat adaxial surface red-tinged, abaxial limb red-spotted or deep pink to purple and abaxial limb with 2 yellow ridges, bilaterally symmetric, strongly bilabiate;

tube-throat funnelform, 9–13 mm, exserted beyond calyx margin;

limb expanded 7–15 mm, lobes notched, adaxial limb glabrous or sparsely bearded.

Fruiting pedicels

45–90 mm.

erect to ascending, 6–11(–32) 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.

sometimes red-dotted on ribs, campanulate, 4–8 mm, margins distinctly toothed or lobed, sparsely glandular-pubescent, ribs weak, lobes pronounced, erect, margins glabrous.

Capsules

included, 7–13 mm.

included, 5–8 mm.

Anthers

included, white-villous, thecae spreading.

included, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

Erythranthe erubescens

Erythranthe discolor

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Springs and seeps, meadows, cliffs, steep rocky slopes, ridges. Moist open areas on gentle slopes in desert chaparral and pine transition areas.
Elevation (1400–)1800–3000(–3500) m. ((4600–)5900–9800(–11500) ft.) 1400–2700 m. (4600–8900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA
[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.)

Erythranthe discolor has two distinctive floral morphs; one is yellow with red spots on the palate, the other is pink with two yellow ridges on the palate. Populations can be monomorphic (usually yellow) or mixed, with the yellow morph most often in higher frequency.

Erythranthe discolor was placed previously in synonymy with E. montioides, and the pink form of E. discolor has commonly been confused with E. palmeri. Erythranthe discolor is known to hybridize with E. barbata and is restricted to Kern and Tulare counties in the southern Sierra Nevada.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 393. FNA vol. 17, p. 386.
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. cardinalis, E. carsonensis, E. charlestonensis, E. chinatiensis, E. cinnabarina, E. corallina, E. cordata, E. decora, E. dentata, E. diffusa, 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 discolor
Name authority G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2014-31: 12, figs. 11–13. (2014) (A. L. Grant) N. S. Fraga: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 35. (2012)
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