''Erythranthe guttata'', with the common names seep monkeyflower and common yellow monkeyflower, is a yellow bee-pollinated annual or perennial plant. It was formerly known as ''Mimulus guttatus''. ''Erythranthe guttata'' is a

model organism A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Mo ...

for biological studies, and in that context is still referred to as ''Mimulus guttatus''. There may be as many as 1000 scientific papers focused on this species. The genome is (as of 2012) being studied in depth. For combined research of evolution, genetics, and ecology, particularly plant-insect interactions, the yellow monkeyflower has become a model system. With the help of physically resistant protections called trichomes, which have been thoroughly examined, the yellow monkeyflower defends itself against herbivores.

Description

A highly variable plant, taking many forms, ''E. guttata'' is a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

in that there is room to treat some of its forms as different species by some definitions. The plant ranges from tall with disproportionately large, 2 to 4 cm long, tubular flowers. The perennial form spreads with stolons or rhizomes. The stem may be erect or recumbent. In the latter form, roots may develop at 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

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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 (hence the name ''guttata'', which is Latin for 'spotted'). The opening to the flower is hairy. ''Erythranthe guttata'' is pollinated by bees, such as ''

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 ...

'' species. 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'' (''Mimulus nasutus'') evolved from ''E. guttata'' in central California between 200,000 and 500,000 years ago and since then has become primarily a self-pollinator. Other differences have occurred since then, such as

genetic code Genetic code is a set of rules used by living cell (biology), cells to Translation (biology), translate information encoded within genetic material (DNA or RNA sequences of nucleotide triplets or codons) into proteins. Translation is accomplished ...

variations and variations in

plant morphology Phytomorphology is the study of the physical form and external structure of plants.Raven, P. H., R. F. Evert, & S. E. Eichhorn. ''Biology of Plants'', 7th ed., page 9. (New York: W. H. Freeman, 2005). . This is usually considered distinct from pl ...

. ''E. guttata'' prefers a wetter habitat than ''E. nasuta''.

Distribution and habitat

A herbaceous wildflower, ''Erythranthe guttata'' grows along the banks of streams and seeps throughout much of 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 ...

from sea level to . Both annual and perennial forms occur throughout the species' range. It blooms during spring at low elevations, during summer at high elevations. It is found in a wide range of habitats including the splash zone of the Pacific Ocean, the

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

of California, Western U.S. deserts, the geysers of

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

alpine meadows Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

, serpentine barrens, and even on the toxic tailings of copper mines. It is also very common in New Zealand near water bodies. The flower is also an introduced species in Europe.

Cultivation

''Erythranthe guttata'' is cultivated in the specialty

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 ...

trade and available as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

for: traditional

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

natural landscape A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture. The natural landscape and the cultural landscape are separate parts of the landscape. However, in the 21st century, landscapes that are totally ...

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equi ...

, and

habitat garden A wildlife garden (or habitat garden or backyard restoration) is an environment created with the purpose to serve as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater to native and local plan ...

Uses

The leaves are edible, both raw and cooked. Leaves are sometimes added to salads as a lettuce substitute, they have a slight bitter flavour.Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990

References

External links

* *
Calflora: Mimulus guttatus'' (Seep Monkey Flower, Yellow Monkey Flower, common yellow monkeyflower)

University of Michigan - Dearborn, Native American Ethnobotany:

Mimulus Genome Browser - for genetics researchers

''Mimulus guttatus'' — UC Photos gallery
* * * * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q17746419, from2=Q1499260 guttata Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of Western Canada Flora of the West Coast of the United States Flora of British Columbia Flora of California Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Plant models Garden plants of North America Freshwater plants Leaf vegetables Flora without expected TNC conservation status