''Erythranthe guttata'', with the common names seep monkeyflower and common yellow monkeyflower, is a yellow bee-pollinated annual or perennial 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 (as of 2012) being studied in depth.

Description

A highly variable plant, taking many forms, ''E. guttata'' is a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

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 A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...

'' species. Inbreeding reduces flower quantity and size and pollen quality and quantity. ''E. guttata'' also displays a high degree of

self-pollination Self-pollination is a form of pollination in which pollen from the same plant arrives at the stigma of a flower (in flowering plants) or at the ovule (in gymnosperms). There are two types of self-pollination: in autogamy, pollen is transferred ...

. '' 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 The genetic code is the set of rules used by living cells to translate information encoded within genetic material ( DNA or RNA sequences of nucleotide triplets, or codons) into proteins. Translation is accomplished by the ribosome, which links ...

variations and variations in

plant morphology Phytomorphology is the study of the physical form and external structure of plants.Raven, P. H., R. F. Evert, & S. E. Eichhorn. ''Biology of Plants'', 7th ed., page 9. (New York: W. H. Freeman, 2005). . This is usually considered distinct from ...

. ''E. guttata'' prefers a wetter habitat than ''E. nasuta''.

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 Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...

, alpine meadows, serpentine barrens, and even on the toxic tailings of copper mines. It is also very common in New Zealand near water bodies.

Cultivation

''Erythranthe guttata'' is cultivated in the specialty

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

trade and available as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

for: traditional

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s; natural landscape,

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

, and habitat gardens.

Uses

The leaves are edible, both raw and cooked. 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

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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
* * * * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q17746419, from2=Q1499260 guttata Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of Western Canada Flora of the West Coast of the United States Flora of British Columbia Flora of California Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Plant models Garden plants of North America Freshwater plants Leaf vegetables Flora without expected TNC conservation status