Penny Perspectives - Chickweed Monkeyflower

Day 213: Most hikers in the Pacific Northwest will be familiar with the larger pink or yellow Monkeyflowers which often line the banks of our streams, their open faces telling the story of how their common name came into existence. Just as common but less well-known is tiny Chickweed Monkeyflower which begins blooming in late spring and persists throughout the summer, better adapted to dry soil than its larger relatives. Shown here in a Penny Perspective, Erythranthe alsinoides will be listed as Mimulus alsinoides in all but the most recent field guides. The distinction came about when molecular studies showed that Erythranthe followed a separate evolutionary line from Mimulus, and thus it was removed from the family Scrophulariaceae and placed instead in Phyrmaceae. While this informational tidbit in no way affects our enjoyment of the smiling "monkey faces" in our meadows, the reclassification demonstrates that science is always moving forward, toward a better understanding of the world around us.

Broomrape And Monkeyflower

Day 234: Another of Team Biota's recent finds: a new location for Naked Broomrape (Orobanche uniflora). This uncommon species is parasitic on at least two sedums and some saxifrages in Mount Rainier National Park; the unidentified host is concealed by the lush Suksdorfia foliage in this image. Broomrape stems are devoid of foliage; the plant contains no chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on the nutrients it pulls from its host (i.e., it is a "holoparasite"). Invariably, when I refer to this plant by its common name, it provokes a negative reaction. In fact, the Latin word "rapum" refers to a tuber, and "broom" refers to the family of vetches (legumes),, another common host for the Orobanche genus. And just to demonstrate that science doesn't rule every single moment of my life (close, but not total), the photographer in me could not resist including that sweet, smiling little Monkeyflower (Erythranthe alsinoides) to top off the visual line.

Erythranthe Alsinoides, Chickweed Monkeyflower

Day 238: Those taxonomists are at it again. It's hard to keep up with the changes brought about due to DNA research. The genus Mimulus has become Erythranthe, a change which to the best of my knowledge affects all Monkeyflowers across the board. That field guide you bought last week? It's out of date, and trust me, by the time the revision goes to press, more species will have been assigned to other genera.

Today, I bring you Mim...no...Erythranthe alsinoides, also known as Chickweed Monkeyflower. Why "chickweed?" I have no idea. The flower is smaller than that of most other Monkeyflowers, its bright yellow monkey-face nevertheless bearing the red spots which make the genus one of the most recognizable in the field. It stands a mere six inches tall, the flower 8-14 mm. in length as opposed to 2-4 cm. for Erythranthe guttatus. Like its cousins, it enjoys keeping its feet cool and can be found in seeps and damp rock crevices as well as along streambanks. At least six species of Monkeyflower (formerly Mimulus, now Erythranthe) can be found in Mount Rainier National Park.