''Erythranthe'', the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers, is a diverse

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

with more than 120 members (as of 2022) in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Phrymaceae Phrymaceae, also known as the lopseed family, is a small family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales.Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards). "Phrymaceae" At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. At: Botanical Databases At: Missouri Botanical Garden Websi ...

. ''Erythranthe'' was originally described as a separate genus, then generally regarded as a section within the genus ''

Mimulus Mimulus , also known as monkeyflowers, is a plant genus in the family (biology), family Phrymaceae, which was traditionally placed in family Scrophulariaceae. The genus now contains only seven species, two native to eastern North America and th ...

'', and recently returned to generic rank. ''Mimulus'' sect. ''

Diplacus ''Diplacus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Phrymaceae, which was traditionally placed in family Scrophulariaceae. It includes 49 species native to the western United States and northwestern Mexico. Most prefer dry and rocky areas. ...

'' was segregated from ''Mimulus'' as a separate genus at the same time. ''Mimulus'' remains as a small genus of eastern North America and the Southern Hemisphere. Molecular data show ''Erythranthe'' and ''Diplacus'' to be distinct evolutionary lines that are distinct from ''Mimulus'' as strictly defined, although this nomenclature is controversial. Member species are usually annuals or

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennials In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

. Flowers are red, pink, or yellow, often in various combinations. A large number of the ''Erythranthe'' species grow in moist to wet soils with some growing even in shallow water. They are not very drought resistant, but many of the species now classified as ''Diplacus'' are. Species are found at elevations from oceanside to high mountains as well as a wide variety of climates, though most prefer wet areas such as riverbanks. The largest concentration of species is in western North America, but species are found elsewhere in the United States and Canada, as well as from Mexico to Chile and eastern Asia. Pollination is mostly by either bees or

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

s. Member species are widely cultivated and are subject to several pests and diseases. Several species are listed as threatened by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

Description

''Erythranthe'' is a highly diverse genus with the characteristics unifying the various species being axile

placentation Placentation is the formation, type and structure, or modes of arrangement of the placenta. The function of placentation is to transfer nutrients, respiratory gases, and water from maternal tissue to a growing embryo, and in some instances to re ...

and long pedicels. Other characteristics of species can vary widely, especially between the sections, and even within some sections. Some species of ''Erythranthe'' are annuals and some are perennials. Flowers are red, pink, purple, or yellow, often in various combinations and shades of those colors. Some species produce copious amounts of aromatic compounds, giving them a

musk Musk is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial substances with similar odors. ' ...

y odor (hence "musk-flowers"). ''Erythranthe'' is used as food by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species, such as the

mouse moth The mouse moth (''Amphipyra tragopoginis'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a widespread species with a Holarctic distribution. Distribution Europe (except the extreme north, and not occurring in the south of Spain, Sicily, or the Balka ...

(''Amphipyra tragopoginis''), as a main part of their diet. Within the section ''Erythranthe'', stems and leaves range from

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

hirsute Hirsutism is excessive body hair on parts of the body where hair is normally absent or minimal. The word is from early 17th century: from Latin ''hirsutus'' meaning "hairy". It usually refers to a male pattern of hair growth in a female that ma ...

, and are generally glandular. Leaves can be oblong, elliptical, or oval, with small tooths. Fruiting pedicels are longer than calyces. Calyces have sharp, definite angles and flat sides. Corollas are deciduous, relatively large (tube-throat long), and strongly red to purplish, magentarose, pink, or white, rarely yellow. ''Erythranthe guttata'' is the most widespread of the genus ''Erythranthe'' and its characteristics are fairly representative of the genus. ''E. guttata'' is tall with disproportionately large long, tubular flowers. Leaves are opposite and oval, long. The species as strictly defined is perennial and spreads with stolons or rhizomes. The stem may be erect or recumbent. In the latter form, roots may develop at lower leaf nodes. Sometimes dwarfed, it may be hairless or have some hairs. Leaves are opposite, round to oval, usually coarsely and irregularly toothed or lobed. The bright yellow flowers are born on a

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

, most often with five or more flowers. The calyx has five lobes that are much shorter than the flower. Each flower has bilateral symmetry and has two lips. The upper lip usually has two lobes; the lower, three. The lower lip may have one large to many small red to reddish brown spots. The opening to the flower is hairy. The fruit is a two-valved capsule long, containing many seeds. '' Erythranthe alsinoides'' is similar to several species found in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

. It is an annual herb that blooms from April–June with a preference for shady and moist dense habitats. The plant is hairy to slightly hairy and grows from tall. The stems are often reddish. The leaves are opposite and have a few prominent upper veins. Blades are long. The petiole is about the same length. The flowers are yellow with reddish-brown spots, usually on the lower lip, and the upper and lower lips have fused, growing . Each flower is attached by a pedicel. The fruits are capsules.

Etymology and taxonomy

The derivation of ''Erythranthe'' is from Greek ἐρυθρός ("''erythros''"), red, with ἄνθος ("''anthos''"), flower. They are called monkey-flowers because some species have flowers shaped like a monkey's face. The widely used generic name,

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''mimus'' meaning "mimic actor", from the Greek ''mimos'' meaning "imitator" also alludes to the fancied monkey resemblance. The stem of ''Erythranthe'' can be either smooth or hairy, and this is known in a few species to be a trait determined by a simple allelic difference. At least '' E. lewisii'' is known to possess " flypaper-type" traps and is apparently protocarnivorous, supplementing its

nutrient A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excret ...

s with small insects. Variations in color largely reflect concentrations of

anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are solubility, water-soluble vacuole, vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart named a chemical compou ...

s. The species that are

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...

s with

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

y stems were originally placed in the section ''Diplacus'', and this was subsequently made a separate genus. ''Diplacus'' is clearly derived from within ''Mimulus,'' broadly defined, and was not usually considered to be a separate genus. The French botanist

Édouard Spach Édouard Spach (23 November 1801 – 18 May 1879) was a French botanist. The son of a merchant in Strasbourg, in 1824 he went to Paris, where he studied botany with René Desfontaines (1750–1831) and Antoine-Laurent de Jussieu (1748–1836). H ...

established ''Erythranthe'' as a separate genus with just the type species ''Erythranthe cardinalis''. In 1885, American botanist

Edward Lee Greene Edward Lee Greene (August 20, 1843–November 10, 1915) was an American botanist known for his numerous publications including the two-part ''Landmarks of Botanical History'' and the describing of over 4,400 species of plants in the American W ...

classified ''Erythranthe'' as a section of ''

'' while adding ''E. lewisii'' and ''E. parishii''. In the 2012 restructuring of ''Mimulus'' by Barker ''et al.'', based largely upon DNA evidence, seven species were left in ''Mimulus'' as strictly defined; ''Erythranthe'' was greatly enlarged to include 111 species, based upon axile placentation and long pedicels, 46 placed into ''Diplacus'' (species with parietal placentation and sessile flowers), two placed in ''

Uvedalia ''Uvedalia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Phrymaceae, native to Australia. It was resurrected from ''Mimulus Mimulus , also known as monkeyflowers, is a plant genus in the family (biology), family Phrymaceae, which was tradit ...

'', and one each placed in '' Elacholoma'', ''

Mimetanthe ''Mimetanthe'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Phrymaceae. It has only one species, ''Mimetanthe pilosa'', synonym ''Mimulus pilosus'', known by the common names false monkeyflower and downy mimetanthe. It is native to the western Un ...

'', and '' Thyridia''. All of the American genera are still referred to as "monkey-flowers". Views on the evolutionary position of the monkey-flower species have changed. It was long considered to be in the family

Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral (zygomorphic) or rarely radial (actinomorphic) symmetry. The Scr ...

, but is now placed in Phyrmaceae, primarily on the basis of DNA evidence. The genus ''

Phryma ''Phryma'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Phrymaceae, native to temperate Asia and eastern North America. Taxonomy The genus ''Phryma'' was erected by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 with the sole species '' Phryma leptostachya''. The Japane ...

'' (comprising only a single species), for which the family is named, is considerably different in morphology from all of the monkey-flowers.. Attempts at crossing species, whether from different sections or within the same section, of ''Erythranthe'' are not always successful. '' E. peregrina'' is an example of a successful naturally occurring hybrid that not only arose independently in two different locations, but is also a rare example of evolutionary recent allopolyploidization, complete chromosomal inheritance.

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

's 1876 study of inbreeding depression and self-fertility in South American species was a progenitor for the study of ''Erythranthe'' biology. The genus has become a model system "for studies of evolutionary and ecological functional genomics ... s it... contains a wide array of phenotypic, ecological and genomic diversity." Species under intense genomic study are mostly among the section ''Simiolus'' (''E. guttata'' and relatives) and the section ''Erythranthe'' (including ''E. lewisii'', ''E. cardinalis'', ''E. parishii'', and others). The

genome sequence A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as ...

of ''E. guttata'' was released in late spring, 2007. Many issues remain in ''Erythranthe'' taxonomy. ''E. guttata'' is highly complex, with many variations apparently reflecting differences in geographic environment and elevation. Molecular geneticists regard the species broadly as including both perennial and annual populations, but there is rationale for treating this complex as several distinct species (perennials are ''E. guttata'', ''E. grandis'', and ''E. corallina''; annuals are ''E. microphylla'' and others). The perennials and annuals differ as groups from each other by an inversion sequence on chromosome 8. Evidence tentatively indicates that the perennials evolved from annual ancestors, although some evidence has been interpreted to indicate that ''E. nasuta'' evolved from ''E. guttata'' in central California between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago and since then become primarily a self-pollinator. Relationships among the apparently closely related ''E. tilingii'', ''E. minor'', and ''E. caespitosa'' are not clearly understood. Some currently recognized species may be just variants of other species: ''E. arenicola'', ''E. brachystylis'', ''E. regni''. Chromosomal issues may affect the classification of some species: ''E. corallina'', ''E. guttata'', ''E. nasuta'', ''E. tilingii'', and ''E. utahensis''.

Species

Species alphabetically

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepted the following species and hybrids: * '' Erythranthe acutidens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe alsinoides'' (Douglas ex Benth.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – chickweed monkey-flower (British Columbia to northern California) * '' Erythranthe ampliata'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe androsacea'' (Curran ex Greene) N.S.Fraga – rockjasmine monkey-flower (California) * '' Erythranthe arenaria'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe arenicola'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe arvensis'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe austrolatidens'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe barbata'' (Greene) N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe bhutanica'' (Yamazaki) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe bicolor'' (Hartw. ex Benth.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – yellow and white monkey-flower (California) * '' Erythranthe bodinieri'' (Vaniot) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe brachystylis'' (Edwin) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe bracteosa'' (P.C.Tsoong) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe breviflora'' (Piper) G.L.Nesom – (British Columbia to California to Wyoming) * '' Erythranthe brevinasuta'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe breweri'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – Brewer's monkey-flower (British Columbia to California to Colorado) * '' Erythranthe bridgesii'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom – (South America) * '' Erythranthe caespitosa'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe calcicola'' N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe calciphila'' (Gentry) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe cardinalis'' (Douglas ex Benth.) Spach – scarlet monkey-flower (southwestern United States and Baja California) * '' Erythranthe carsonensis'' N.S.Fraga – Carson Valley monkey-flower (California and Nevada) * '' Erythranthe charlestonensis'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe chinatiensis'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe cinnabarina'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe corallina'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe cordata'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe cuprea'' (Dombrain) G.L.Nesom – ''Flor de cobre'' (Eng: copper flower) (central and southern Chile) * '' Erythranthe decora'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe dentata'' (Nutt. ex Benth.) G.L.Nesom – toothleaf monkey-flower, coastal monkey-flower (British Columbia to northern California) * '' Erythranthe dentiloba'' (B.L.Rob. & Fernald) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe depressa'' (Phil.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe diffusa'' (A.L.Grant) N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe diminuens'' G.L.Nesom – (Sonora, Mexico) * '' Erythranthe discolor'' (A.L.Grant) N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe eastwoodiae'' (Rydb.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe erubescens'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe exigua'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – San Bernardino Mountains monkey-flower (southern California, Baja California) * '' Erythranthe filicaulis'' (S.Watson) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – slender-stemmed monkey-flower (California) * '' Erythranthe filicifolia'' (Sexton, K.G.Ferris & Schoenig) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe flammea'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe floribunda'' (Douglas ex Lindl.) G.L.Nesom – manyflowered monkey-flower (western Canada, Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountains, northern Mexico) * '' Erythranthe gemmipara'' (W.A.Weber) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – Rocky Mountain monkey-flower (Colorado) * '' Erythranthe geniculata'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe geyeri'' (Torr.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe glabrata'' (Kunth) G.L.Nesom – roundleaf monkey-flower (widespread in North America, Mesoamerica and South America) * '' Erythranthe glaucescens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom – shieldbract monkey-flower (California) * '' Erythranthe gracilipes'' (B.L.Rob.) N.S.Fraga – slenderstalk monkey-flower (California) * '' Erythranthe grandis'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe grayi'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe guttata'' (Fisch. ex DC.) G.L.Nesom – common large monkey-flower, common monkey-flower, stream monkey-flower, seep monkey-flower (AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, ID, MI, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, SD, UT, WA, WY; Canada: BC, Yukon; Mexico to Guatemala; naturalized in Britain) * '' Erythranthe hallii'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe hardhamiae'' N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe howaldiae'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe hymenophylla'' (Meinke) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe inamoena'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe inconspicua'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom – (syns. ''Mimulus acutidens'' and ''M. grayi'') * '' Erythranthe inflata'' (Miq.) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe inflatula'' (Suksd.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe jungermannioides'' (Suksd.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe karakormiana'' (Yamazaki) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe laciniata'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe lagunensis'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe latidens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom – broadtooth monkey-flower (southern California, Baja California) * '' Erythranthe lewisii'' (Pursh) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – great purple monkey-flower, Lewis' monkey-flower (Alaska to California to Colorado) * '' Erythranthe linearifolia'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe lutea'' (L.) G.L.Nesom – yellow monkey-flower, monkey musk, blotched monkey-flower, and blood-drop-emlets (North and South America, naturalized in Britain) * '' Erythranthe madrensis'' (Seem.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe marmorata'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe michiganensis'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom – Michigan monkey-flower (Michigan) * '' Erythranthe microphylla'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe minima'' (C.Bohlen) J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores– (Michoacan, Mexico) * '' Erythranthe minor'' (A. Nelson) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe montioides'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – montia-like monkey-flower (California, Nevada) * '' Erythranthe moschata'' (Douglas ex Lindl.) G.L.Nesom – (North and South America, naturalized in Britain and Finland) * '' Erythranthe naiandina'' (J.M.Watson & C.Bohlen) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe nasuta'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe nelsonii'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – In 2014 Nesom lists as a synonym of ''Erythranthe verbenacea'' * '' Erythranthe nepalensis'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom (Asia) * '' Erythranthe norrisii'' (Heckard & Shevock) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe nudata'' (Curran ex Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe orizabae'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom – (Mexico) * '' Erythranthe pallens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe palmeri'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – Palmer's monkey-flower (central California south to Baja California) * '' Erythranthe pardalis'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe parishii'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – Parish's monkey-flower (southern California, western Nevada, Baja California) * '' Erythranthe parvula'' (Wooton & Standl.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe patula'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe pennellii'' (Gentry) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe percaulis'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe platyphylla'' (Franch.) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe plotocalyx'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe primuloides'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – primrose monkey-flower (WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, UT, AZ, MT, NM) * '' Erythranthe procera'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe ptilota'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe pulsiferae'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom – candelabrum monkey-flower (Washington to northern California) * '' Erythranthe purpurea'' (A.L.Grant) N.S.Fraga – little purple monkey-flower (southern California, Baja California) * '' Erythranthe regni'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe rhodopetra'' N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe rubella'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – little redstem monkey-flower (CA, NV, UT, WY, CO, NM, TX) * '' Erythranthe rupestris'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe scouleri'' (Hook.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe serpentinicola'' D.J.Keil * '' Erythranthe sessilifolia'' (Maxim.) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe shevockii'' (Heckard & Bacig.) N.S.Fraga – Kelso Creek monkey-flower (

Kern County, California Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County compris ...

) * '' Erythranthe sierrae'' N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe sinoalba'' G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe sookensis'' B.G. Benedict – newly discovered 2012, originally named ''M. sookensis'' (British Columbia to northern California) * '' Erythranthe stolonifera'' (Novopokr.) G.L.Nesom – (Russia) * '' Erythranthe suksdorfii'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – Suksdorf's monkey-flower and miniature monkey-flower (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico) * '' Erythranthe szechuanensis'' (Pai) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe taylorii'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe tenella'' (Bunge) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe thermalis'' (A. Nelson) G.L.Nesom – (Yellowstone National Park) * '' Erythranthe tibetica'' (P.C.Tsoong & H.P.Yang) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) * '' Erythranthe tilingii'' (Regel) G.L.Nesom – large mountain monkey-flower, Tiling's monkey-flower (Alaska to New Mexico) * '' Erythranthe trinitiensis'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe unimaculata'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe utahensis'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe verbenacea'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga * '' Erythranthe veronicifolia'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe visibilis'' G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe washingtonensis'' (Gand.) G.L.Nesom * '' Erythranthe willisii'' G.L.Nesom Hybrids: * ''Erythranthe'' × ''burnetii'' (S.Arn.) Silverside * ''Erythranthe'' × ''hybrida'' (Voss) Silverside * ''Erythranthe'' × ''maculosa'' (T.Moore) Mabb. * ''Erythranthe'' × ''robertsii'' (Silverside) G.L.Nesom, syn. '' Erythranthe peregrina'' (M. Vallejo-Marin) G.L.Nesom – newly discovered 2012, originally named ''M. peregrinus'' (Scotland)

Species sectionally

In a 2014 paper, G. L. Nesom and N. S. Fraga placed ''Erythranthe'' members into the following 12 sections (unless listed below as "newly discovered"). Names accepted are from Plants of the World Online. *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Simiolus'' :'' Erythranthe arenicola'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe arvensis'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe brachystylis'' (Edwin) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe brevinasuta'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe caespitosa'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe calciphila'' (Gentry) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe charlestonensis'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe chinatiensis'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe corallina'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe cordata'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe decora'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe diminuens'' G.L.Nesom – newly discovered in 2017 and added to this list (Sonora, Mexico) :'' Erythranthe dentiloba'' (B.L.Rob. & Fernald) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe filicifolia'' (Sexton, K.G.Ferris & Schoenig) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe geyeri'' (Torr.) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe glabrata'' (Kunth) G.L.Nesom – roundleaf monkey-flower (widespread in North America, Mesoamerica and South America) :'' Erythranthe glaucescens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom – shieldbract monkey-flower (California) :'' Erythranthe grandis'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe guttata'' (Fisch. ex DC.) G.L.Nesom – common large monkey-flower, common monkey-flower, stream monkey-flower, seep monkey-flower (AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, ID, MI, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, SD, UT, WA, WY; Canada: BC, Yukon; Mexico to Guatemala; naturalized in Britain) :'' Erythranthe hallii'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe inamoena'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe laciniata'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe lagunensis'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe madrensis'' (Seem.) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe marmorata'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe michiganensis'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom – Michigan monkey-flower (Michigan) :'' Erythranthe microphylla'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe minima'' (C.Bohlen) J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores – (Michoacan, Mexico) :'' Erythranthe minor'' (A. Nelson) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe nasuta'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe nudata'' (Curran ex Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe pallens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe pardalis'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe parvula'' (Wooton & Standl.) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe pennellii'' (Gentry) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe percaulis'' G.L.Nesom :''Erythranthe peregrina'' M. Vallejo-Marin, synonym of ''Erythranthe'' × ''robertsii'' – newly discovered 2012, originally named ''M. peregrinus'' (Scotland) :'' Erythranthe regni'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe scouleri'' (Hook.) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe sookensis'' B.G. Benedict – originally named ''M. sookensis'' (British Columbia to northern California) :'' Erythranthe thermalis'' (A. Nelson) G.L.Nesom – (Yellowstone National Park) :'' Erythranthe tilingii'' (Regel) G.L.Nesom – large mountain monkey-flower, Tiling's monkey-flower (Alaska to New Mexico) :'' Erythranthe unimaculata'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe utahensis'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe visibilis'' G.L.Nesom :*(South America) :''Erythranthe acaulis'' (Phil.) G.L.Nesom, synonym of '' Erythranthe depressa'' var. ''depressa'' :''Erythranthe andicola'' (Kunth) G.L.Nesom, synonym of '' Erythranthe glabrata'' :'' Erythranthe cuprea'' (Dombrain) G.L.Nesom – ''Flor de cobre'' (Eng: copper flower) (central and southern Chile) :'' Erythranthe depressa'' (Phil.) G.L.Nesom :''Erythranthe lacerata'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom, synonym of '' Erythranthe lutea'' var. ''lutea'' :'' Erythranthe lutea'' (L.) G.L.Nesom – yellow monkey-flower, monkey musk, blotched monkey-flower, and blood-drop-emlets (North and South America, naturalized in Britain) :'' Erythranthe naiandina'' (J.M.Watson & C.Bohlen) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe parviflora'' (Lindl.) G.L.Nesom :''Erythranthe pilosiuscula'' (Kunth) G.L.Nesom, synonym of '' Erythranthe glabrata'' *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Erythranthe'' :'' Erythranthe cardinalis'' (Douglas ex Benth.) Spach – scarlet monkey-flower (southwestern United States and Baja California) :'' Erythranthe cinnabarina'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe eastwoodiae'' (Rydb.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe erubescens'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe flammea'' :'' Erythranthe lewisii'' (Pursh) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – great purple monkey-flower, Lewis' monkey-flower (Alaska to California to Colorado) :'' Erythranthe nelsonii'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – In 2014 Nesom lists as a synonym of ''Erythranthe verbenacea'' :'' Erythranthe parishii'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – Parish's monkey-flower (southern California, western Nevada, Baja California) :'' Erythranthe rupestris'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe verbenacea'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Mimulosma'' :'' Erythranthe ampliata'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe arenaria'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe austrolatidens'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe breviflora'' (Piper) G.L.Nesom – (British Columbia to California to Wyoming) :'' Erythranthe floribunda'' (Douglas ex Lindl.) G.L.Nesom – manyflowered monkey-flower (western Canada, Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountains, northern Mexico) :'' Erythranthe geniculata'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe hymenophylla'' (Meinke) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe inflatula'' (Suksd.) G.L.Nesom :''Erythranthe inodora'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom, synonym of '' Erythranthe moschata'' :'' Erythranthe jungermannioides'' (Suksd.) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe latidens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom – broadtooth monkey-flower (southern California, Baja California) :''Erythranthe moniliformis'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom, synonym of '' Erythranthe moschata'' :'' Erythranthe moschata'' (Douglas ex Lindl.) G.L.Nesom – (North and South America, naturalized in Britain and Finland) :'' Erythranthe norrisii'' (Heckard & Shevock) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe patula'' (Pennell) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe pulsiferae'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom – candelabrum monkey-flower (Washington to northern California) :'' Erythranthe taylorii'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe trinitiensis'' G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe washingtonensis'' (Gand.) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe stolonifera'' (Novopokr.) G.L.Nesom – (Russia) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Achlyopitheca'' :'' Erythranthe acutidens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe grayi'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom :'' Erythranthe inconspicua'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom – (syns. ''Mimulus acutidens'' and ''M. grayi'') *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Paradantha'' :'' Erythranthe androsacea'' (Curran ex Greene) N.S.Fraga – rockjasmine monkey-flower (California) :'' Erythranthe barbata'' (Greene) N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe calcicola'' N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe carsonensis'' N.S.Fraga – Carson Valley monkey-flower (California and Nevada) :'' Erythranthe diffusa'' (A.L.Grant) N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe discolor'' (A.L.Grant) N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe gracilipes'' (B.L.Rob.) N.S.Fraga – slenderstalk monkey-flower (California) :'' Erythranthe hardhamiae'' N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe montioides'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – montia-like monkey-flower (California, Nevada) :'' Erythranthe palmeri'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – Palmer's monkey-flower (central California south to Baja California) :'' Erythranthe purpurea'' (A.L.Grant) N.S.Fraga – little purple monkey-flower (southern California, Baja California) :'' Erythranthe rhodopetra'' N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe rubella'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – little redstem monkey-flower (CA, NV, UT, WY, CO, NM, TX) :'' Erythranthe shevockii'' (Heckard & Bacig.) N.S.Fraga – Kelso Creek monkey-flower (

) :'' Erythranthe sierrae'' N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe suksdorfii'' (A.Gray) N.S.Fraga – Suksdorf's monkey-flower and miniature monkey-flower (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Monantha'' :'' Erythranthe linearifolia'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga :'' Erythranthe primuloides'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – primrose monkey-flower (WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, UT, AZ, MT, NM) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Monimanthe'' :'' Erythranthe bicolor'' (Hartw. ex Benth.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – yellow and white monkey-flower (California) :'' Erythranthe breweri'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – Brewer's monkey-flower (British Columbia to California to Colorado) :'' Erythranthe filicaulis'' (S.Watson) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – slender-stemmed monkey-flower (California) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Alsinimimulus'' :'' Erythranthe alsinoides'' (Douglas ex Benth.) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – chickweed monkey-flower (British Columbia to northern California) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Simigemma'' :'' Erythranthe gemmipara'' (W.A.Weber) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – Rocky Mountain monkey-flower (Colorado) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Exigua'' :'' Erythranthe exigua'' (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom & N.S.Fraga – San Bernardino Mountains monkey-flower (southern California, Baja California) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Sinopitheca'' :'' Erythranthe bracteosa'' (P.C.Tsoong) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe bridgesii'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom – (South America) :'' Erythranthe platyphylla'' (Franch.) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe sessilifolia'' (Maxim.) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe tibetica'' (P.C.Tsoong & H.P.Yang) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) *''Erythranthe'' sect. ''Mimulasia'' :'' Erythranthe dentata'' (Nutt. ex Benth.) G.L.Nesom – toothleaf monkey-flower, coastal monkey-flower (British Columbia to northern California) :'' Erythranthe orizabae'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom – (Mexico) :'' Erythranthe bhutanica'' (Yamazaki) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe bodinieri'' (Vaniot) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe inflata'' (Miq.) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe karakormiana'' (Yamazaki) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe nepalensis'' (Benth.) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe procera'' (A.L.Grant) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe sinoalba'' G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe szechuanensis'' (Pai) G.L.Nesom – (Asia) :'' Erythranthe tenella'' (Bunge) G.L.Nesom – (Asia)

Reproductive biology

Before recognition of ''E. cinnabarina'' as a species, ''E. lewisii'' was interpreted to be the sister of ''E. cardinalis''. It is now clear that ''E. cinnabarina'' and ''E. cardinalis'' are sister species and that ''E. lewisii'' and ''E. erubescens'' are sister species. In the hypothesized

phylogeny A phylogenetic tree or phylogeny is a graphical representation which shows the evolutionary history between a set of species or Taxon, taxa during a specific time.Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, M ...

, the 'cinnabarina/cardinalis' pair is sister to the 'lewisii/erubescens' pair. ''Erythranthe lewisii'' is a model system for studying pollinator-based

reproductive isolation The mechanisms of reproductive isolation are a collection of evolutionary mechanisms, ethology, behaviors and physiology, physiological processes critical for speciation. They prevent members of different species from producing offspring, or ensu ...

. ''E. lewisii'' is

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or butterflies; bird ...

by bees, primarily ''

Bombus A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct r ...

'' and '' Osmia'', which feed on its

nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

and transfer its

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...

. Although it is fully interfertile with its sister species ''E. cardinalis'', the two do not interbreed in the wild, a difference ascribed primarily to pollinator differences; ''E. cardinalis'' is pollinated by hummingbirds, especially '' Calypte anna'' and '' Selasphorus rufus''. It was previously reported that evidence strongly linking pollination preference to color differences between the species, but this has been disproven. ''E. erubescens'' is mostly pollinated by ''

Bombus balteatus ''Bombus balteatus'', the golden-belted bumble bee, is a species of bumblebee with a boreal and high altitude distribution in northern Eurasia and North America. Range and distribution This species is found in Finland, northern Sweden, Norway ...

'', '' B. centralis'', '' B. flavifrons'', and '' B. vosnesenskii''. ''Erythranthe parishii'' is also closely related to ''E. lewisii'', but it has evolved in a different direction as a self-pollinated species with small flowers. ''E. eastwoodiae'', ''E. nelsonii'', ''E. rupestris'', and ''E. verbenacea'' are also pollinated by hummingbirds. These four species as well as ''E. cardinalis'' and ''E. nelsonii'' produce bisexual flowers and are

self-compatible Self-incompatibility (SI) is a general name for several genetic mechanisms that prevent self-fertilization in sexually reproducing organisms, and thus encourage outcrossing and allogamy. It is contrasted with separation of sexes among individuals ...

. This approximate ratio of insect vs hummingbird pollination holds true for the rest of the genus. There have been two separate transformations to hummingbird pollination. Pollination changes are highly affected by changes in flower morphology. ''E. cardinalis'' and its sister species ''E. cinnabarina'' likely evolved via

allopatric speciation Allopatric speciation () – also referred to as geographic speciation, vicariant speciation, or its earlier name the dumbbell model – is a mode of speciation that occurs when biological populations become geographically isolated from ...

. ''Erythranthe guttata'' is pollinated by bees, such as '' Bombus impatiens''. Inbreeding reduces flower quantity and size and pollen quality and quantity. ''E. guttata'' also displays a high degree of

self-pollination Self-pollination is a form of pollination in which pollen arrives at the stigma of a flower (in flowering plants) or at the ovule (in gymnosperms) of the same plant. The term cross-pollination is used for the opposite case, where pollen from ...

. '' Erythranthe nasuta'' evolved from ''E. guttata'' in central California between 200,000 and 500,000 years ago and since then has become primarily a self-pollinator.

Distribution and habitat

Over 80% of ''Erythranthe'' species are found in western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, especially California, Oregon, and Washington. Genus members are also found in Baja California, Alaska, British Columbia, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and to a lesser extent the midwestern states, northeastern states, Canada, and Latin America. Members of this genus are found in eastern Asia; several species of which have a high degree of similarity with some of the species found in North and South America. A large number of the species grow in moist to wet soils with some growing even in shallow water. They are not very drought resistant, but the species now classified as ''Diplacus'' are. Some species grow in dry areas, others in wet habitats, such as members of the section ''Simiolus'', which are

hydrophilic A hydrophile is a molecule or other molecular entity that is attracted to water molecules and tends to be dissolved by water.Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon'' Oxford: Clarendon Press. In contrast, hydrophobes are n ...

. Both overall plant size and corolla size vary greatly throughout the genus. A minimum of 25 of the species are listed as threatened by the

. Species are found at elevations from oceanside to high mountains as well as a wide variety of climates, though most prefer wet areas such as riverbanks.

Pests and diseases

''Diplacus'', ''Erythranthe'', and ''Mimulus'' are subject to a very similar set of pests and diseases. The pests these genera are susceptible to include: gall midges, golden

mealybug Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Of the more than 2,000 described species, many are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and ...

thrips Thrips (Order (biology) , order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Entomologists have species description , described approximately 7,700 species. They fly on ...

, and seed bugs. Diseases they are susceptible to include: crown gall, aster yellows phytoplasma, impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), leaf spots,

powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungus, fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of Ascomycota, ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant disea ...

— especially '' Erysiphe brunneopunctata'' and '' Erysiphe cichoracearum'', botrytis blight, pythium root rot,

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH) ...

s, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), as well as

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

and nutrient deficiencies.

Human culture

Horticulture

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

, several species,

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s and hybrids are used. Because of their wide range and many variations, the most important are those derived from ''E. gutatta'' and ''E. lutea''. ''E. cuprea'' alone has at least 10 cultivars and hybrids.

Culinary uses

''Erythranthe'' species tend to concentrate

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as Salt#Edible salt, edible salt, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. It is transparent or translucent, brittle, hygroscopic, and occurs a ...

and other salts absorbed from the soils in which they grow in their leaves and stem tissues. Native Americans and early travelers in the American West used this plant as a salt substitute to season wild game. The entire plant is edible, but reported to be very salty and bitter unless well cooked. The juice from the leaves was used as a

poultice A poultice or cataplasm, also called a fomentation, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is applied to the skin to reduce inflammation, soothe pain, promote healing, or otherwise treat wounds or ailments. Soft materials like cer ...

for mild skin irritations and burns. Leaves can be used in salads and soups; flowers taste best before blooming. ''E. lutea'' has been used for cooking in Peru.

Alternative medical use

''Erythranthe'' has been listed as one of the 38 plants that are used to prepare Bach flower remedies, a kind of

alternative medicine Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

promoted for its effect on health. However, according to

Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organisation. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...

, "there is no scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer".

References

External links

{{Authority control Lamiales genera Plant models