''Diplacus pictus'' is a species of

monkeyflower Monkey flower can refer to: *Several genera of plant family Phrymaceae, including: ** ''Diplacus'' ** ''Erythranthe'' ** ''Mimulus'' *Various snapdragon-like Lamiales, including: ** ''Linaria vulgaris'' ** ''Phyllocarpus septentrionalis ''Barne ...

known by the common name calico monkeyflower.Calflora: ''Mimulus pictus''
/ref>

Distribution

The wildflower is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, found only above the southeastern

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

within Kern County and

Tulare County Tulare County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 473,117. The county seat is Visalia. The county is named for Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes. ...

. It is known only from the western Tehachapi Mountains and southernmost

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

foothills, at elevations of .Jepson eFlora (TJM2):''Mimulus pictus''
/ref> It grows in open California oak woodland habitat, in bare rocky soils around granite outcrops. It is a listed

Endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants.California Native Plant Society, Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02): ''Mimulus pictus''
. accessed 26 March 2016.

Description

''Diplacus pictus'' is a small annual herb growing from in height. The stem is hairy and rectangular in cross-section. The oppositely arranged leaves are somewhat oval in shape and up to 4.5 centimeters long. The tubular base of the flower is encapsulated in a dark reddish calyx of

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s with uneven lobes. The five-lobed flower has a maroon throat and the circular face is white with bold and intricately patterned purple-brown veining. The bloom period varies from March to May.

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Mimulus pictus'' (Calico monkeyflower)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Mimulus pictus''USDA Plants Profile for ''Mimulus pictus'' (calico monkeyflower)UC CalPhotos gallery − ''Mimulus pictus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17746297 pictus Endemic flora of California Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) ~ Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of Kern County, California Natural history of Tulare County, California Flora without expected TNC conservation status