Mimulus guttatus DC.

Fully-hardy, upright to spreading, vigorous perennial with funnel-shaped yellow flowers, often spotted or marked red to purple-brown at the throat, in summer.  To 30cm.  [RHSE, Hortus].  It is sometimes regarded as a form of Mimulus luteus L.  

Horticultural & Botanical History

Introduced to Britain in 1812.  [JD].  Curtis's Botanical Magazine suggests that Mimulus luteus was first grown at the Cambridge Botanic Garden under the name M. Langsdorfii, but this plant is almost certainly Mimulus guttatus.  ‘This beautiful species of Mimulus was found by Dr. Langsdorff, who was attached, as naturalist, to the Russian Embassy to China. He brought it, as we are informed, from Unashka, one of the Fox Islands, and seeds were transmitted to Mr. Hunneman last spring, and through him to Mr. Donn, curator of the Botanic Garden at Cambridge, who kindly communicated to us in July last the specimen from which our drawing was made, under the name of Mimulus Langsdorfii which we should have adopted, had it proved, as was supposed, a new discovery.  But the same species was found in Chili, by Father Feuillee, and has been long ago described and figured in his work, as above quoted. From him Linnaeus inserted it in his Species Plantarum, with the specific name of luteus.  It was found also in California and at Nootka, by Mr. Archibold Menzies’. [BM t.1501/1812].  The leaves of M. guttatus can be eaten as a salad.  [PD].

History at Camden Park

Listed only in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [H.148/1850].

Notes

Published Apr 22, 2009 - 09:37 AM | Last updated Sep 05, 2011 - 02:45 PM


Shown are toothed leaves and funnel-shaped yellow flowers, spotted red at the throat.  Curtis's Botanical Magazine t.1501, 1812.

Mimulus guttatus DC. | BM t.1501/1812 | BHL

 

More details about Mimulus guttatus DC.
Family Scrophulariaceae
Category
Region of origin

North America

Synonyms
  • Mimulus langsdorfii Donn ex Sims 

 

Common Name

Gap mouth, Common large monkey flower

Name in the Camden Park Record

Mimulus guttatus

 

Confidence level high