Erythranthe tilingii

Erythranthe tilingii is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name Tiling's monkeyflower. It was formerly known as Mimulus tilingii.

Description

Erythranthe tilingii is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing 2 to 35 centimeters tall. The oppositely arranged oval leaves may be several centimeters long and some are borne on short petioles. The yellow flower may be over 4 centimeters long, its narrow tubular throat opening into a wide, two-lipped mouth. The base of the flower tube is encapsulated in a calyx of sepals with uneven lobes.

Taxonomy

Erythranthe tilingii was scientifically described in 1869 by Eduard August von Regel and named Mimulus tilingii. It was moved to the genus Erythranthe in 2012 by Guy L. Nesom. Together with its genus it is classified in the family Phrymaceae and it has six synonyms.
Erythranthe tilingii is often nearly impossible to distinguish from its common relative, Mimulus guttatus, as their characteristics can intergrade; one of the most notable differences is the arrangement of the flowers, which are axial in M. tilingii but in a raceme in M. guttatus. By 2014 three species that were formerly part of E. tilingii had been made their own separate species: Erythranthe caespitosa, Erythranthe corallina, Erythranthe minor.

Distribution

It is native to much of western North America, from Alaska to California to New Mexico to Montana. It grows in moist and wet habitats, such as streambanks and mountain meadows, and is generally found at high elevation.