Erythranthe guttata, with the common names seep monkeyflower and common yellow monkeyflower, is a yellow bee-pollinated annual or perennial flowering plant. It was formerly known as Mimulus guttatus.

Erythranthe guttata is a model organism for biological studies, and in that context is still referred to as Mimulus guttatus. There may be as many as 1000 scientific papers focused on this species. The genome is being studied in depth.

For combined research of evolution, genetics, and ecology, particularly plant-insect interactions, the yellow monkeyflower has become a model system. With the help of physically resistant protections called trichomes, which have been thoroughly examined, the yellow monkeyflower defends itself against herbivores.

Description

A highly variable plant, taking many forms, E. guttata is a species complex in that there is room to treat some of its forms as different species by some definitions.

The plant ranges from tall with disproportionately large, 2 to 4 cm long, tubular flowers. The perennial form spreads with stolons or rhizomes. The stem may be erect or recumbent. In the latter form, roots may develop at leaf nodes. Sometimes dwarfed, it may be hairless or have some hairs.

Leaves are opposite, round to oval, usually coarsely and irregularly toothed or lobed. The bright yellow flowers are born on a raceme, most often with five or more flowers.

The calyx has five lobes that are much shorter than the flower. Each flower has bilateral symmetry and has two lips. The upper lip usually has two lobes; the lower, three. The lower lip may have one large to many small red to reddish brown spots (hence the name guttata, which is Latin for 'spotted'). The opening to the flower is hairy.

Erythranthe guttata is pollinated by bees, such as Bombus species. Inbreeding reduces flower quantity and size and pollen quality and quantity. E. guttata also displays a high degree of self-pollination. Erythranthe nasuta (Mimulus nasutus) evolved from E. guttata in central California between 200,000 and 500,000 years ago and since then has become primarily a self-pollinator. Other differences have occurred since then, such as genetic code variations and variations in plant morphology. E. guttata prefers a wetter habitat than E. nasuta.

Taxonomy Erythranthe guttata was given its first scientific name, Mimulus guttatus, in 1813 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. In 2012 it was moved to the genus Erythranthe by Guy L. Nesom, giving the species its accepted name. Together with its genus it is classified in the family Phrymaceae. According to Plants of the World Online it has synonyms.

Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Notes Mimulus clementinus 1909 species = het. Mimulus cupriphilus 1989 species = het. Mimulus duplex 1891 species = het. Mimulus equinus 1906 species = het. Mimulus exquisitus 1874 species = het. Mimulus formosa-elegans 1851 species = het. Mimulus glabratus var. adscendens 1886 variety = het. Mimulus grandiflorus 1901 species = het. Mimulus guttatus 1813 species ≡ hom. Mimulus guttatus var. cupriphilus 2010 variety = het. Mimulus guttatus var. depauperatus 1924 variety = het. Mimulus guttatus var. gracilior 1963 variety = het. Mimulus guttatus subsp. haidensis 1965 subspecies = het. Mimulus guttatus subsp. litoralis 1947 subspecies = het. Mimulus guttatus var. lyratus 1941 variety = het. Mimulus guttatus var. platycalyx 2010 variety = het. Mimulus guttatus subsp. typicus 1947 subspecies ≡ hom., not validly publ. Mimulus hirsutus 1901 species = het., nom. illeg. Mimulus langsdorffii 1895 species ≡ hom., nom. superfl. Mimulus langsdorffii var. argutus 1895 variety = het. Mimulus langsdorffii var. guttatus 1901 variety ≡ hom., nom. superfl. Mimulus langsdorffii var. minima 1915 variety = het. Mimulus langsdorffii var. platyphyllus 1895 variety = het. Mimulus luteus var. depauperatus 1876 variety = het. Mimulus lyratus 1835 species = het. Mimulus maclainii 1851 species = het. Mimulus paniculatus 1906 species = het. Mimulus petiolaris 1909 species = het. Mimulus pictus 1851 species = het. Mimulus platycalyx 1947 species = het. Mimulus prionophyllus 1906 species = het. Mimulus whipplei 1924 species = het. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym

Distribution and habitat A herbaceous wildflower, Erythranthe guttata grows along the banks of streams and seeps throughout much of western North America from sea level to . Both annual and perennial forms occur throughout the species' range. It blooms during spring at low elevations, during summer at high elevations.

It is found in a wide range of habitats including the splash zone of the Pacific Ocean, the chaparral of California, Western U.S. deserts, the geysers of Yellowstone National Park, alpine meadows, serpentine barrens, and even on the toxic tailings of copper mines. It is also very common in New Zealand near water bodies.

The flower is also an introduced species in Europe.

In the Faroe Islands this flower is called "laurusa blomstur" (e. Lauras flowers). It was brought to the islands in 1926 by an Icelandic woman named Arnþrúður Lára Pétursdóttir (called Laura Einarsson in the Faroe Islands). She brought the flower to Rituvík and from there it has spread across the Islands and is now very common.

Cultivation Erythranthe guttata is cultivated in the specialty horticulture trade and available as an ornamental plant for: traditional gardens; natural landscape, native plant, and habitat gardens.

Uses The leaves are edible, both raw and cooked.Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968 Leaves are sometimes added to salads as a lettuce substitute. They have a slight bitter flavour.Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990

References

External links

Calflora: Mimulus guttatus (Seep Monkey Flower, Yellow Monkey Flower, common yellow monkeyflower) University of Michigan - Dearborn, Native American Ethnobotany: Mimulus Genome Browser - for genetics researchers Mimulus guttatus — UC Photos gallery