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

Palmer's monkeyflower

cardinal monkey flower, scarlet monkey-flower

Habit Annuals, taprooted. Perennials, rhizomatous.
Stems

erect, simple or branched from basal nodes, 4–17 cm, minutely puberulent.

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

Leaves

cauline, basal not persistent;

petiole 0 mm;

blade pinnately veined, palmately 3-veined (in broader ones), linear to oblanceolate, (3–)4–17 × 1–4 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces minutely puberulent.

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, 1–36, from distal or medial to distal nodes.

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

Styles

glabrous.

glabrous.

Corollas

pink to purple, abaxial limb with 2 yellow ridges, bilaterally symmetric, strongly bilabiate;

tube-throat funnelform, 6–15 mm, exserted beyond calyx margin;

limb expanded 8–15 mm, lobes deeply notched, abaxial limb sparsely bearded.

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

spreading horizontally, 5–33 mm.

30–90(–120) mm.

Fruiting calyces

sometimes red-spotted on ribs, becoming straw colored, cylindric, 4–8 mm, margins distinctly toothed or lobed, glabrous, ribs weak, lobes pronounced, erect, margins ciliate.

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, 4–8 mm.

included, 10–16 mm.

Anthers

included, glabrous.

exserted, white-villous, thecae spreading.

2n

= 16.

Erythranthe palmeri

Erythranthe cardinalis

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Moist areas in openings in pine forest and desert chaparral transitions. 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 900–2200 m. (3000–7200 ft.) (5–)50–2300(–2800) m. ((0–)200–7500(–9200) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Erythranthe palmeri has been confused with other closely related species, including E. diffusa, E. discolor (pink form), E. rhodopetra, and E. sierrae. It was previously thought to be a widely distributed species because of this taxonomic confusion but now is regarded as endemic to the Transverse Range in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains.

(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. 387. 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. 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. 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 palmeri Mimulus cardinalis, M. cardinalis var. exsul, M. cardinalis var. griseus, M. cardinalis var. rigens
Name authority (A. Gray) N. S. Fraga: Phytoneuron 2012-39: 35. (2012) (Douglas ex Bentham) Spach: Hist. Nat. Vég. 9: 313. (1840)
Web links