Broadtooth monkeyflower facts for kids

The Broadtooth Monkeyflower (scientific name: Mimulus latidens) is a type of monkeyflower. It's a beautiful wild plant found in California and Baja California, Mexico. You can often spot it growing in places that get wet during certain times of the year, like vernal pools (which are temporary ponds).

What Does the Broadtooth Monkeyflower Look Like?

The Broadtooth Monkeyflower is an annual herb. This means it's a plant that lives for only one growing season. It grows a thin stem that branches out. This stem can reach up to about 27 centimeters tall, which is roughly the length of a standard ruler.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are shaped like a spear or an oval. Some leaves grow in a cluster at the base of the plant, forming a "rosette." Smaller leaves grow in pairs along the stem.

Each flower has a tube-like base. This base is covered by a ribbed outer layer called a calyx. The calyx protects the flower and later swells up as the plant's fruit grows inside. The flowers themselves are small, usually about one centimeter long. They are only a few millimeters wide at the opening. You might see them in shades of pink, white, or sometimes yellow.