Description: This native perennial plant is ½–3' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are glabrous, 4-angled, and more or less winged. The opposite leaves are up to 5" long and 2" across. They are ovate, lanceolate-ovate, or lanceolate, becoming smaller and more narrow where the flowers occur in the upper portion of the stems. The leaves are glabrous and dentate or serrate along the margins; at the base, they have narrowly winged petioles about ½" long.
The flowers occur individually above the
axils of the upper leaves. Each flower is about 1" long, consisting of a
two-lipped corolla and a tubular calyx. The throat of the corolla has a patch
of yellow that is surrounded by a narrow band of white, otherwise it is pale
violet or pink. The upper lip has a pair of lobes that fold backward laterally,
while the lower lip has 3 well-rounded lobes that spread outward and function
as a landing pad for visiting insects. The surface of the corolla is often
covered with fine white hairs, particularly at the base of its throat. The
light green calyx is about as long as the corolla; it has 5 winged ridges along
its length and 5 teeth along its outer rim. The blooming period occurs from
mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1-2 months. Only a few flowers on a
plant are in bloom at the same; there is no floral scent. After the corolla
falls off, the persistent calyx surrounds a capsule containing several smooth
seeds. The root system consists of a taproot and rhizomes. This plant is not a
strong colonizer, although vegetative offsets are occasionally
formed.
Cultivation: The preference
is partial sun, wet to consistently moist conditions, and a rich soil
containing an abundance of organic matter. Full sun and light shade are also
tolerated. When plants are grown in conditions that are too dry and sunny, they
remain small in size and their foliage becomes yellowish green. Foliar disease
is rarely a problem.
Range &
Habitat: Winged Monkeyflower is occasional in southern and central
Illinois, but uncommon or absent in northern Illinois (see
Distribution
Map). Habitats include openings in floodplain forests, swamps, seeps, edges
of small rivers and drainage canals, poorly drained areas of alluvial meadows,
and roadside ditches. This plant is somewhat conservative in its habitat
preferences, but can be found in disturbed wetlands
occasionally.
Faunal Associations:
Very little is known about floral-faunal relationships for this species. The
nectar of the flowers attracts Bombus pensylvanica and other bumblebees.
The foliage is eaten by the caterpillars of the moth Elaphria
chalcedonia (Chalcedony Midget).
Photographic Location: Within the floodplain of a
small drainage canal at Judge Webber Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Winged Monkeyflower is a very attractive
plant that can withstand occasional flooding. It has a similar appearance to
Mimulus ringens (Monkeyflower) and occurs in the same habitats. Winged
Monkeyflower differs from the latter species in the following characteristics:
1) Its flowers are often pink rather than blue-violet, 2) Its leaves have
narrowly winged petioles about ½" long, while Mimulus ringens has
sessile leaves, and 3) The pedicels of its flowers are less than ½" in
length, while Mimulus ringens has pedicels that are greater than
½" in length. The other species of Monkeyflower that occurs in Illinois,
Mimulus glabratus fremontii (Yellow Monkeyflower), differs from the
preceding species by its smaller yellow flowers.