''Erythranthe inflatula'',

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Mimulus inflatulus'' and ''Mimulus evanescens'', is a rare 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 disappearing monkeyflower. It is native to the western United States, where it is known from about ten locations in and around the

Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic basin, endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California ...

within the states of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, and

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 ...

; it is also found in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. Specimens of the plant had been catalogued as ''Mimulus breviflorus'' (now '' Erythranthe breviflora''), but on further examination it was evident that they were a separate, unclassified species; this was described to science in 1995. It is thought that the plant may have evolved via

hybridization Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to: *Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid *Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals *Nu ...

between '' Erythranthe breviflora'' and ''

Erythranthe latidens ''Erythranthe latidens'', Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Mimulus latidens'', is a species of Erythranthe, monkeyflower known by the common name broadtooth monkeyflower. It is native to the valleys and coastal mountains of Northern through Souther ...

'', or that it evolved from ''E. latidens'' and then into ''E. breviflora''. ''Erythranthe inflatula'' is a succulent annual herb coated with tiny glandular hairs and having a somewhat slimy texture. The thin stems grow mostly erect to a maximum height near . The leaves are lance-shaped to oval and up to long by wide. The flowers are small and barely open, their tubular bases enclosed in a ribbed 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, which becomes papery and inflated as the fruits mature. The flower is less than long and is mostly yellow in color, sometimes with brownish dots in the throat. ''Erythranthe inflatula'' has been observed in rocky sagebrush habitat, especially in areas still moist from early spring soaking.USFS Sensitive Vascular Plant Profile
/ref> Most of the areas where the plant grows are on

rangeland Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savannas ...

used for

grazing In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to roam around and consume wild vegetations in order to convert the otherwise indigestible (by human gut) cellulose within grass and other ...

livestock. Threats to the plant include land degradation from

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

grazing, encroachment by

invasive plant species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

, and changes in the

hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...

of the plant's vernally wet habitat.Meinke, R. J
Site management plan for ''Mimulus evanescens'' at Dog Hollow Reservoir
/ref>

References

External links

Jepson eFlora treatment of ''Mimulus evanescens''Jepson Manual Status PageUSDA Plants Profile for ''Mimulus evanescens''CNPS Rare Plant Profile''Mimulus evanescens'' — UC Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q17746412, from2=Q96174160, from3=Q16755641 inflatula Flora of Idaho Flora of Oregon Flora of California Flora of Nevada Flora of the Great Basin Plants described in 1995 Succulent plants