Mimulus hymenophyllus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mimulus hymenophyllus |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: |
Phrymaceae
|
| Genus: |
Mimulus
|
| Species: |
M. hymenophyllus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mimulus hymenophyllus R.J. Meinke
|
|
Mimulus hymenophyllus is a type of flowering plant. It is often called the thinsepal monkeyflower or membrane-leaf monkeyflower. This plant belongs to the lopseed family. You can find it mainly in Hells Canyon, which is a big canyon on the border between Oregon and Idaho in the United States. It has also been seen in Montana.
Contents
What is the Thinsepal Monkeyflower?
This plant is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years and does not have a woody stem. It grows in bunches of thin, delicate stems that can reach up to 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long. These stems are covered in tiny, sticky hairs.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the thinsepal monkeyflower grow in pairs opposite each other on the stem. They are shaped like a spear or an oval with pointed ends. The leaves are very thin, almost like a membrane.
The flowers grow in pairs where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has a green, tube-shaped part called a calyx. The main part of the flower, called the corolla, looks like a funnel. It can be up to 2.8 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. The flowers are yellow and often have red or purple dots inside. The lower lip of the flower has a "beard" of yellow hairs. You can see these flowers blooming from April through September.
Where Does It Grow?
The thinsepal monkeyflower likes to grow in wet spots. You can often find it in cracks in basalt and limestone cliffs. It usually grows near flowing water, like streams and rivers.
Plant Neighbors
This monkeyflower often shares its home with other plants. These include ferns and bryophytes (small, simple plants like mosses). Other plants you might see nearby are:
- Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor)
- Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
- Creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens)
- Desert gooseberry (Ribes velutinum)
- Golden currant (Ribes aureum)
- Wilcox penstemon (Penstemon wilcoxii)
- Whorled penstemon (Penstemon triphyllus)
- Floerkea (Floerkea proserpinacoides)
- Leiberg stonecrop (Sedum leibergii)
- Cutleaf thelypody (Thelypodium laciniatum)
- Brittle bladderfern (Cystopteris fragilis)
- Common monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus)
Plant Family Connections
Scientists group plants into families based on how they are related. This Mimulus plant is part of a special group called the Snake River Clade. It is related to other plants like Mimulus ampliatus and M. patulus. These plants are all part of a larger group known as the Mimulus moschatus alliance.
