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Mimulus ringens L.

Square-stemmed monkeyflower

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassAsteridaeA large class that encompasses asters
OrderLamialesAromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
FamilyPhrymaceaeLopseed family
GenusMimulusFrom Greek mimō, “ape” (from the shape of the corolla); historically the genus was “Scrophulariaceae”
Speciesringens“Gaping,” referring to the corolla

About plant names...

The Allegheny monkey flower gets its unusual name from the shape of its flower, fancifully believed to resemble a monkey's face when squeezed from behind. It is a North American native, and prefers wet areas. The plant shown here was a few feet from a pond, in damp, rich soil.

Identification: Plants grow 8-39″ (20-100 cm) tall. The stem is hairless and square in cross-section. Leaves are opposite, hairless, oblong or sometimes thin and lance-shaped, emerging almost directly from the stem or wrapped partially around it. Flowers are ¾-1″ (2-3 cm) in size, and bilaterally symmetrical—consisting of two mirror-image halves. The flowers are lavender-colored, with a yellow throat, with a two-lobed upper lip and a lower larger, three-lobed lip. Flowers emerge in long stems sideways from the main stem.

Online References:

Missouriplants.com

Illinois Wildflowers

CalPhotos

The University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The USDA Plants Database

Wikipedia

The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

7/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 23 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

8/26/2018 · Henry E. Cowdrey Nature Center, Lunenburg, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

7/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm)

 

Mimulus ringens description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

7/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

7/31/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

8/3/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (6.6 × 9.8 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

7/31/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

7/31/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

7/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

8/3/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm)

Range: Zones 3-8:

About this map...