Mimetanthe pilosa, False Monkeyflower, Southwest Desert Flora

Mimetanthe pilosa, False Monkeyflower

False Monkeyflower is a native annual with small yellow flowers that look similar to Seep Monkey Flower. Mimetanthe pilosa

False Monkeyflower blooms from April to August in Arizona and California. The plants have long dense wavy hairs and narrow green leaves. Mimetanthe pilosa

False Monkeyflower is a small forb that grows up to 12 inches tall (usually much less). The genus is monotypic with 1 species. Mimetanthe pilosa

Scientific Name: Mimetanthe pilosa
Common Name: False Monkeyflower
Also Called: False Monkey-flower
Family: Scrophulariaceae, Figwort or Snapdragon Family - Moving to Phrymaceae
Synonyms: (Mimetanthe pilosa, Mimulus pilosus)
Status: Native
Duration: Annual
Size: Up to 12 inches more or less.
Growth Form: Forb/herb; plants with long dense wavy hairs.
Leaves: Green; about 1 inch long, lanceolate to oblong.
Flower Color: Yellow; flowers with ⅓ inch pedicels; calyx pubescent; corolla yellow.
Flowering Season: April to August in Arizona and California.
Elevation: 1,000 to 4,500 feet; up to 8,000 feet in California.

Habitat Preferences: Moist sandy soil along dry streams and disturbed areas.

Recorded Range: Mimetanthe pilosa is found approximately in the west ¼ of the United States in; AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA. It is also native to the northern ½ of Baja California. In Arizona it is found in the central, south and northwest parts of the state.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Mimetanthe pilosa.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.

Wetland Indicator: In North America Mimetanthe pilosa has the following wetland designations: Arid West, FACW; Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast FACW.
FACW = Facultative Wetland, usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands.

Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.

Genus Information: In North America there are 1 species and 1 accepted taxa overall for Mimetanthe. World wide, The Plant List includes 1 accepted species names and includes a further 0 infraspecific rank for the genus.

In all of the Southwestern United States there is 1 species of Mimetanthe. All data is approximate and subject to taxonomic changes.

Comments: The common name, False Monkeyflower is a reference to its similar look to Seep Monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus. The genus is monotypic with just 1 species.