Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower)

Mimulus ringens L.

Square-stemmed monkeyflower

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
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	ringens	“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:

Mimulus ringens on Missouriplants.com

Mimulus ringens at Illinois Wildflowers

Mimulus ringens on CalPhotos

Mimulus ringens at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Mimulus ringens at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Mimulus ringens on the USDA Plants Database

Mimulus ringens on Wikipedia

Mimulus ringens on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

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

8/26/2018 · Henry E. Cowdrey Nature Center, Lunenburg, MA
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 16 cm)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, MA
≈ 5 × 3" (13 × 8.4 cm)

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

Range: Zones 3-8:

About this map...