Description: This native perennial plant is 1-3'
tall, branching frequently to create a bushy appearance. The stems are hairless
and 4-angled, but not conspicuously winged. The opposite leaves are up to 4"
long and 1"
across. They are lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, hairless, and serrated along
the margins. The base of a leaf is either sessile or somewhat eared
(auriculate); if the latter, it clasps the stem. Individual flowers develop
from the leaf axils of the upper stems. These flowers are about 1" long, and
have two-lipped corollas that are usually blue-violet (less often, pink or
white). The upper lip of the corolla has 2 erect lobes, while the lower lip has
3 rounded lobes. The inner surface of the lower lip often has 2 small ridges.
The throat of the corolla has a patch of yellow and is barely open because of
an abundance of fuzzy hairs. The tubular calyx is green and has 5 long teeth
that taper gradually to a point. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late
summer and lasts about 1–1½ months. There is no floral scent. Each
flower is replaced by a rounded seed capsule that contains numerous tiny seeds
with a reticulated surface. The seeds are dispersed by wind or water. The root
system consists of a taproot and rhizomes. This plant can spread vegetatively,
but it isn't a strong colonizer.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun,
rich loamy soil, and wet conditions. This plant will also grow in soil that is
consistently moist, particularly in partially shaded situations. The foliage
isn't bothered by foliar disease to any significant degree, although it will
turn yellow and shrivel away in response to droughty conditions. The size of a
plant is strongly influenced by moisture conditions and soil
fertility.
Range & Habitat:
Monkey Flower is widely distributed throughout most of Illinois (see
Distribution
Map). It occurs occasionally in the central and northern areas of the
state, but is less common in the south. Habitats include floodplain forests
(particularly in partially sunny areas), swamps, seeps, muddy borders of
small
streams or ponds, drainage ditches, and wet meadows. It typically
occurs in areas that are prone to occasional flooding or standing
water.
Faunal Associations:
Bumblebees visit the flowers for nectar. They are one of the few insects that
are strong enough to force their way into the partially closed throat of the
corolla. The caterpillars of the moth Elaphria chalcedona (Chalcedony
Midget) feed on the foliage. Some authorities state that the caterpillars of
the butterfly Euphydryas phaeton (Baltimore) feed on Monkey Flower, but
this has not been observed in Illinois to my knowledge. The seeds are too small
to be of much value to birds, while little appears to be known about the food
value of this plant to mammalian herbivores. The foliage is neither
particularly bitter nor known to be toxic.
Photographic Location: The photographed plants were
growing in a poorly drained area of prairie at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana,
Illinois.
Comments: Both the foliage
and flowers of this plant are quite attractive. The common name comes from the
fancied resemblance of the flower to a monkey's face when it is squeezed by the
fingers. The Mimulus spp. in Illinois are either yellow-flowered or
blue- to pink-flowered. In the latter group, there are only two species:
Mimulus ringens (Monkey Flower) and Mimulus alatus (Winged Monkey
Flower). The former has flowers on pedicels that are longer than the tubular
calyx (½" or more), leaves that are sessile or clasping, and stems that
are 4-angled, but not conspicuously winged. The latter species has flowers that
are nearly sessile, leaves that have distinct petioles, and stems that are both
4-angled and conspicuously winged. In my experience, Monkeyflower usually has
blue-violet flowers, while Winged Monkeyflower usually has pink flowers, but
this distinction may not generalize to all areas.