Native plant identification key for the
Palos Verdes Peninsula, California


Leaves linear (thin, very much longer than wide) or narrow lanceolate (much longer than wide), ~2-8 cm long, sessile or nearly so (no petiole or leaf- stalk), mainly cauline (on the stems), and their margins are often finely toothed and rolled under. The leaves are glandular/sticky to the point of glutinous (like glue) on the undersides, though they tend not to be on their upper surfaces, which are glabrous (or smooth-surfaced), as are the stems. Veining is indented, creating a quilted effect, and pinnate (veins branch off from the main axis-vein). There are often pairs of small leaves fascicled in the axils, where the main leaves join the stem, creating an almost whorled look. The stems are numerous, erect, and profusely branched. Flowers are solitary or in pairs on pedicels (or flower stalks) emerging from leaf axils. The calyxes (sepal structures) form narrow tubes ~2-2.5 cm long, which is longer than the pedicels (~0.5-1.6 cm long). The corollas range in color: reddish-orange, orange-yellow, apricot, buff, or even white, though apricot and orange-yellow are most common. The corollas are 2-lipped, with 2 lobes on the upper and 3 on the lower, with a pair of ridges running down the throat of the flower onto the lower lip. There are 2 stigmas (ends of the pistils or female parts of the flower) and 4 stamens (male parts), neither of which protrude past the petals. Flowers from March to July. The plant is a shrub ~0.5-1.25 m tall. It favors rocky and disturbed locations, particularly where scrubland or woodland opens up a bit, and is found throughout California except for the high deserts (Mojave, Great Basin, Modoc Plateau) and extends into the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico. This species' taxonomy is in quite a state of flux right now, partly because of molecular tests establishing evolutionary relationships within its family, partly because the species hybridizes pretty freely with a number of other species, partly because that variability has led to a plethora of older names that have to be reconciled in an orderly fashion, and partly because the family, Scrophulariaceae, is being broken into smaller families.

Mimulus aurantiacus aka Mimulus aurantiacus subsp. australis aka Mimulus longiflorus aka Diplacus aurantiacus aka Diplacus aurantiacus subsp. australis and dozens of other names (Scrophulariaceae aka Phrymaceae): sticky monkey flower or bush monkey flower or island monkey flower


First placed on web: 08/06/11
Last revised: 08/06/11
Christine M. Rodrigue, Ph.D., Department of Geography, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840-1101
rodrigue@csulb.edu

The development of this key was partially funded through the Geoscience Diversity Enhancement Program (Award #0703798) and through a course of re-assigned time provided by the CSULB Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee. Thanks also to the students in sections of biogeography, introductory physical geography, GDEP, and LSAMP for "test-driving" various editions of this key.