Square-stemmed Monkey Flower

(Mimulus ringens)

 

   

 

Color Photograph: Matthew C. Perry, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Department of Interior

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Square-stemmed Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens L.)

Identification: Flowers large, pastel violet. Base of flower tubular with 5 free petal lobes. Upper 2 petal lobes erect, slightly twisted. Lower 3 petal lobes broad, middle lobe with two patches of yellow hairs. Sepals fused into a elongate, rectangular capsule. Flower stalk (pedicel) long, much longer than the calyx. Flowers arising from leaf axils. Stem square. Leaves in opposite pairs, elongate-ovate, with weakly toothed outer margins. Leaves sessile to the stem. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Throughout eastern North America. Also occurs in central North America and the Pacific Coast states.

Habitat: Square-stemmed Monkey Flower is found in swamps, along rivers and streams, and in other wet places.

Flowering period: June to September.

Similar Species: Square-stemmed Monkey Flower is similar to Sharp-winged Monkey Flower. However Sharp-winged Monkey Flower has short flower stalks (pedicels) and the leaves have distinct petioles and are not sessile to the stem.

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