Mimulus clevelandii

Description

Diplacus clevelandii is an uncommon species of monkeyflower known by the common name Cleveland's bush monkeyflower. It was formerly known as Mimulus clevelandii. Its specific epithet clevelandii honors 19th-century San Diego-based plant collector and lawyer Daniel Cleveland It is endemic to the Peninsular Ranges of southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in chaparral and oak woodland habitats, including in disturbed areas. It is a Vulnerable species on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants Diplacus clevelandii is a sturdy perennial herb producing a hairy erect stem up to 90 centimeters tall from a woody caudex. The hairy lance-shaped or oblong leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and oppositely arranged, often with smaller leaves growing in their axils. The tubular base of each flower is encapsulated in a hairy calyx of sepals over 2 centimeters long with long, pointed lobes. The flower corolla is bright yellow and up to 4 centimeters in length with a wide, five-lobed mouth. Its bloom period is April to June. Diplacus is a plant genus in the family Phrymaceae, which was traditionally placed in family Scrophulariaceae. In the 2012 restructuring of Mimulus by Barker, et al., based largely upon DNA evidence, seven species were left in Mimulus, 111 placed into Erythranthe (species with axile placentation and long pedicels), 46 placed into Diplacus (species with parietal placentation and sessile flowers), two placed in Uvedalia, and one each placed in Elacholoma, Mimetanthe, and Thyridia. Diplacus used to be a separate genus from Mimulus, but it was merged into Mimulus no later than 1905, until the 2012 restructuring. Dry and rocky areas are preferred.