Flora of North America species comparison

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Erythranthe ptilota

Erythranthe cordata

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

tinytooter monkeyflower
Habit Perennials, rhizomatous, sometimes rooting at proximal nodes. Annuals, fibrous-rooted, sometimes producing leafy runners from basal nodes, stems often rooting at proximal nodes and appearing rhizomelike.
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.

usually erect, usually simple, usually fistulose, 12–40(–100) cm, sparsely stipitate-glandular, hairs fine, gland-tipped.
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, basal persistent;

petiole: basal and proximals 6–20(–40) mm, midcauline to distals 0 mm;

blade not connate, palmately 3–5(–7)-veined, orbicular to broadly elliptic-ovate or oblong-elliptic, cauline becoming broadly ovate to narrowly reniform, basal and mid cauline 15–30(–50) mm, gradually reduced in size distally to 6 mm, basal largest, distal closely paired, auriculate-subclasping, base cuneate to truncate or shallowly cordate, margins shallowly, evenly to unevenly dentate, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces glabrous.
Flowers

herkogamous, 4–10, from medial to distal nodes.

plesiogamous, (5–)10–16, at distal nodes, in bracteate racemes, 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, red-spotted, abaxial limb deeper yellow, weakly bilaterally or radially symmetric, weakly bilabiate or regular;

tube-throat sometimes tubular and not opening (cleistogamous), 8–14 mm, exserted 1–3 mm beyond calyx margin;

limb not expanded or expanded 9–14 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

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

10–30(–45) mm, longer than subtending leaves, minutely stipitate-glandular.
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.

nodding 45–90º, not red-dotted, broadly elliptic-ovoid, inflated, sagittally compressed, (8–)14–18(–20) mm, glabrous or sparsely stipitate-glandular to hirsutulous, sometimes mixed glandular-hirsutulous, throat closing, adaxial lobe not distinctly longer than abaxial, not falcate.
Capsules

included, 6–8 mm.

included, stipitate, 5–7 mm.
Anthers

included, finely hirtellous to hispidulous.

included, glabrous.
2n

= 60.

Erythranthe ptilota

Erythranthe cordata
Phenology Flowering (May–)Jun–Aug. Flowering (Jan–)Mar–Jun(–Nov).
Habitat Creek banks, gravel bars, flood plains, shallow ditches and natural drainages, swales, damp banks, wet sand, moist soils in coniferous woods, marshes, bogs. Springs, seeps, stream edges, muddy banks, flood plains, marshes and swamps, wash bottoms, wet depressions, wet places among boulders.
Elevation 0–1000(–1900) m. (0–3300(–6200) ft.) (600–)800–2400(–3000) m. ((2000–)2600–7900(–9800) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT
[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 cordata is characterized by its fibrous-rooted habit (annual in duration, without rhizomes but commonly rooting at the proximal nodes), short corollas and autogamous reproduction (anthers and stigma at the same level), closed calyces, sparsely villous-glandular vestiture (lacking hirtellous, eglandular hairs), and stems commonly fistulose in larger plants. The short corollas and other features of autogamous reproduction of E. cordata are diagnostic and prominent. Plants of E. cordata are highly variable in size, from tiny fibrous-rooted plants with nearly filiform stems to much larger individuals with fistulose stems rooting at proximal nodes.

Erythranthe cordata and E. nasuta are sympatric in Arizona, southeastern New Mexico, and southern Utah, and small plants of each species may be similar in aspect, both with cleistogamous flowers and reduced vestiture. Erythranthe nasuta can be recognized by its distal and bracteal leaves with hirtellous to hirsutulous adaxial surfaces; a 10/x lens usually is required to see this feature, and it sometimes is most obvious around the leaf margins.

The common name of Erythranthe cordata alludes to a fancied resemblance of the corollas to the horn of a diminutive trumpet.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 402. FNA vol. 17, p. 422.
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. 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. 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 cordatus, M. maguirei
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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