monkey flower

For the crab genus, see Mimulus (crab).

Mimulus
Mimulus lewisii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Phrymaceae Genus: Mimulus Linnaeus
Species
Presently some 150, but see text.
Synonyms
See text

Mimulus (pronounced /ˈmɪmjuːləs/)^[1] is a diverse plant genus, the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers. The about 150 species are currently placed in the family Phrymaceae. The genus has traditionally been placed in Scrophulariaceae. The removal of Mimulus from that family has been supported by studies of chloroplast DNA first published in the mid-1990s^{[citation needed]}. Multiple studies of chloroplast DNA and two regions of nuclear rDNA^[2] suggest that the genera Phryma, Berendtiella, Hemichaena, Leucocarpus, Microcarpeae, Peplidium, Glossostigma, and Elacholoma are all derived from within Mimulus and would need to be rearranged.

It is recognized that there are two large groups of Mimulus species, with the largest group of species in western North America, and a second group with center of diversity in Australia. A few species also extend into eastern North America, eastern Asia and southern Africa. This enlarged group is a part of the newly redefined Phrymaceae.

Characteristics

Most of the species are annuals or herbaceous perennials, but a few species are subshrubs with woody stems; these are treated in the section Diplacus. Diplacus is clearly derived from within Mimulus s.l. and was not usually considered to be generically distinct. Hence, it would not be treated as a genus separate from Mimulus now, though it might become a section of a yet-to-be defined split from Mimulus s.str.. A large number of the species grow in moist to wet soils with some growing even in shallow water. Some species produce copious amounts of aromatic compounds, giving them a musky odor (hence "musk-flowers").

Mimulus are called monkey-flowers because some species have flowers shaped like a monkeys face,^[3] others have painted faces resembling a monkey. The generic name, Latin mimus meaning "mimic actor", from the Greek mimos meaning "imitator" also references this. The stem of a few species of Mimulus can be either smooth or hairy, and this trait is determined by a simple allelic difference^{[verification needed]}. At least M. lewisii is known to possess "flypaper-type" traps and is apparently protocarnivorous, supplementing its nutrients with small insects.

Uses and ecology

Mimulus cv. 'Jack'

In horticulture, several species, cultivars and hybrids are used. Most important are those derived from M. bigelovii stock, a species with large, spread-out flowers. One of the standard Bach flower remedies is derived from Mimulus^{[verification needed]}; some species are also used in folk medicine.

Several taxa, namely the yellow monkey-flowers (M. guttatus and relatives) and the section Erythranthe (including e.g. M. lewisii, M. cardinalis and M. parishii) are model organisms for research in ecology, genetics and genomics. The genome sequence of Mimulus guttatus was released in late spring, 2007.

Mimulus is used as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, e.g. the Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis). For a list of Mimulus pathogens, see List of mimulus, monkey-flower diseases.

Edibility and medicinal uses

Mimulus species tend to concentrate sodium chloride and other salts absorbed from the soils in which they grow in their leaves and stem tissues. Native Americans and early travelers in the American West used this plant as a salt substitute to flavor wild game. The entire plant is edible, but reported to be very salty and bitter unless well cooked. The juice squeezed from the plant's foliage was used as a soothing poultice for minor burns and skin irritations. ^[4]

Selected species of Mimulus senso lato

Wild Mimulus bigelovii near Las Vegas, Nevada

Wide-throated Yellow Monkey-flower
Mimulus brevipes

Yellow Monkey-flower
Mimulus luteus

Downy Mimetanthe
Mimulus pilosus

• Mimulus alatus – Sharpwing Monkey-flower
• Mimulus alsinoides – Chickweed Monkey-flower
• Mimulus aridus
• Mimulus aurantiacus – Orange Bush Monkey-flower, Sticky Monkey-flower
• Mimulus bigelovii
• Mimulus breviflorus – Shortflower Monkey-flower
• Mimulus brevipes – Wide-throated Yellow Monkey-flower
• Mimulus breweri – Brewer's Monkey-flower
• Mimulus cardinalis – Scarlet Monkey-flower
• Mimulus clementii – named after Emile Clement
• Mimulus cupreus
• Mimulus debilis F.Muell.
• Mimulus dentatus – Toothleaf Monkey-flower
• Mimulus douglasii – Purple mouse ears, brownies
• Mimulus filicaulis – Slender-stemmed Monkey-flower
• Mimulus floribundus – Floriferous Monkey-flower
• Mimulus fremontii
• Mimulus glabratus – Roundleaf Monkey-flower
• Mimulus glaucescens
• Mimulus glutinosus – Pink Monkey-flower, Hard-wooded Mimulus
• Mimulus gracilis R.Br.
• Mimulus guttatus – Common Large Monkey-flower, Common Monkey-flower, Stream Monkey-flower, Seep Monkey-flower
• Mimulus laciniatus
• Mimulus lewisii – Great Purple Monkey-flower, Lewis' Monkey-flower
• Mimulus longiflorus – Southern Bush Monkey-flower syn. Diplacus longiflorus
• Mimulus luteus – Yellow Monkey-flower, Blood-drop-emlets, Monkey Musk
• Mimulus micranthus
• Mimulus moschatus – Musk-flower
• Mimulus nudatus
• Mimulus nasutus
• Mimulus palmeri
• Mimulus parishii
• Mimulus pilosus – Downy Mimetanthe
• Mimulus primuloides
• Mimulus puniceus – Red Bush Monkey-flower syn. Diplacus puniceus
• Mimulus repens R.Br.
• Mimulus ringens – Allegheny Monkey-flower, Square-stemmed Monkey-flower
• Mimulus roseus – Rosy Monkey-flower
• Mimulus rupicola – Death Valley Monkey-flower
• Mimulus shevockii – Kelso Creek Monkey-flower
• Mimulus stellatus
• Mimulus tilingii – Large Mountain Monkey-flower, Subalpine Monkey-flower
• Mimulus variegatus

See also

• Mimbulus mimbletonia, a fictional plant in Harry Potter

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mimulus

• The Mimulus Community
• Mimulus Database - for genetics researchers