Mimulus cardinalis Douglas ex Benth.
Cardinal monkeyflower, scarlet monkeyflower
Occurs almost always under natural conditions in wetlands. It is a favorite of hummingbirds.
Plants: 1–3′ (30–91 cm) tall, with erect, loosely branched stems covered with long delicate hairs.
Leaves: Pale green, toothed, hairy, obovate, and connate at the base.
Flowers: Single red- to red-orange flowers grow from leaf axils, appearing from Jul-Sep. (Rarely, flowers are yellow.) Flowers are tubular, about 1″ (2.5 cm) long, with a yellow, projecting stamen. They have a narrow upper lip and wider, 3-lobed lower lip that bends back underneath the flower.
Fruits: Dehiscent capsules.
Habitats: Wet places including streamsides, pond margins, springs, seepages and under water-dripping cliffs.
Online References:
6/2/2009 · Zion National Park, Utah 
5/23/2009 · West Fork of Oak Creek Trail, Arizona 
6/2/2009 · Zion National Park, Utah 
6/2/2009 · Zion National Park, Utah · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (8.6 × 7 cm) 
5/23/2009 · West Fork of Oak Creek Trail, Arizona · ≈ 13 × 11″ (32 × 27 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Lamiales | Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary |
| Family | Phrymaceae | Lopseed family |
| Genus | Mimulus | From Greek mimō, “ape” (from the shape of the corolla); historically the genus was “Scrophulariaceae” |
| Species | cardinalis | Red, possibly referring to the color of the garb worn by cardinals |
Mimulus cardinalis description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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