| Erythranthe suksdorfii | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Phrymaceae |
| Genus: | Erythranthe |
| Species: | E. suksdorfii |
| Binomial name | |
| Erythranthe suksdorfii | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Erythranthe suksdorfii, with the common names Suksdorf's monkeyflower and miniature monkeyflower, is an annual flowering plant in the family Phrymaceae (Lopseed). It was formerly known as Mimulus suksdorfii. [2] [3] [4] [5] A specimen collected in Washington state in 1885 by the self-taught immigrant botanist Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf was identified as a new species by Asa Gray in 1886, who named it in Suksdorf's honor. [6] [7] It was moved to the genus Erythranthe in 2012 by Naomi Fraga. [1] It can easily be misidentified with Erythranthe breviflora , which generally has elliptic leaves rather than the linear or oblong leaves found in E. suksdorfii. [8]
E. suksdorfii is native to Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. [6] The plant prefers valleys and foothills in mountainous areas at elevations of 130–2,160 meters (430–7,090 ft). [8] It grows well in wetland-riparian areas that are moist in springtime and forests with Yellow Pine, Red Fir, and/or Lodgepole Pine in subalpine regions. [9] Soils with good drainage are preferred. [10] Its range has been severely impacted by human activity, [8] [11] resulting in having the status of "sensitive" from the Bureau of Land Management and United States Forest Service. [8]
E. suksdorfii is a dicot herb. [9] The petals are yellow and have red spots that appear from the throat to the lower corolla lobe, which is only 4–6.5 millimeters (0.16–0.26 in) long. [6] It flowers from mid-April to July, depending upon locality. [12] The calyx is mildly hairy. The leaves are opposite, slender, tapered, and hairy and generally sessile. The plant grows to a height of 3–10 centimeters (1.2–3.9 in). [8]