Flora of North America species comparison

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Erythranthe ptilota

Erythranthe arvensis

musk monkeyflower, musk-flower, sessile-leaf monkey-flower, wing-leaf monkeyflower

field monkey-flower, villous-bract monkeyflower, western monkey-flower
Habit Perennials, rhizomatous, sometimes rooting at proximal nodes. Annuals, taprooted or fibrous-rooted, sometimes rooting at proximal cauline nodes if decumbent.
Stems

prostrate, sometimes decumbent to ascending, few-branched, 20–80 cm, villous, hairs 1–2 mm, eglandular, sometimes mixed with much shorter stipitate-glandular ones, internodes evident.

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

cauline, basal not persistent, often congested;

petiole 0 mm, rarely 1–2(–3) mm;

blade pinnately veined, oblong-lanceolate, 30–70 × 10–22 mm, base rounded, margins denticulate to dentate, apex acute, surfaces villous, hairs 1–2 mm, eglandular, sometimes mixed with much shorter stipitate-glandular ones.

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, 4–10, from medial to distal nodes.

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

glabrous.

glabrous.
Corollas

yellow, throat with fine blackish or brownish lines on all sides, weakly bilaterally or nearly radially symmetric, weakly bilabiate or nearly regular;

tube-throat narrowly campanulate, 15–18 mm, exserted beyond calyx margin;

lobe apex rounded.

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

(15–)22–50 mm, villous, hairs 1–2 mm, eglandular, sometimes mixed with much shorter stipitate-glandular ones.

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

wing- or plicate-angled, cylindric-campanulate, weakly inflated, 10–12 mm, villous-glandular, hairs gland-tipped, lobes distinctly spreading, strongly unequal, linear-lanceolate to narrowly triangular, 5–9 mm, apex long acuminate-apiculate.

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, 6–8 mm.

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

included, finely hirtellous to hispidulous.

included, glabrous.
2n

= 28.

Erythranthe ptilota

Erythranthe arvensis
Phenology Flowering (May–)Jun–Aug. Flowering Apr–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Creek banks, gravel bars, flood plains, shallow ditches and natural drainages, swales, damp banks, wet sand, moist soils in coniferous woods, marshes, bogs. Hills, ridges, clay banks, stream banks, moist woods.
Elevation 0–1000(–1900) m. (0–3300(–6200) ft.) 30–1900(–2300) m. (100–6200(–7500) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Erythranthe ptilota is recognized by its prostrate to decumbent or decumbent-ascending habit, large, consistently sessile leaves, densely villous vestiture, long pedicels, large calyces and corollas, hispid-hirtellous anthers, and particularly by its long, strongly unequal, linear-triangular calyx lobes usually distally falcate. Leaf bases typically are truncate to rounded or subcordate. Rarely the leaves are short-petiolate, but in such cases, the distinctive leaf bases, vestiture, calyx morphology, and pubescent anthers are diagnostic. Erythranthe ptilota is widely sympatric with E. moschata but usually occurs at lower elevations and characteristically in wetter habitats. The epithet ptilota (Greek ptilotos, winged) alludes to a fancied winglike aspect of the pairs of sessile leaves.

A population system of Erythranthe ptilota-like plants occurs in southern California, about 480 km disjunct from the main range of the species. These plants have the prostrate habit, large leaves, long pedicels, and large corollas of E. ptilota, but the calyx lobes are variable in length and usually do not show the characteristic attenuate-apiculate apices. The southern California plants are identified here as E. moschata.

Erythranthe ptilota is a new name at specific rank for Mimulus moschatus var. sessilifolius [not E. sessilifolia (Maximowicz) G. L. Nesom].

(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. 402. 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. 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. 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 moschatus var. sessilifolius Mimulus arvensis, M. guttatus subsp. arvensis, M. guttatus var. arvensis, M. guttatus subsp. micranthus, M. langsdorffii var. arvensis, M. longulus, M. micranthus
Name authority G. L. Nesom: Phytoneuron 2017-17: 4. (2017) (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).



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