About Mimulus ringens L.
Mimulus ringens L. is a species of monkeyflower, commonly known as Allegheny monkeyflower and square-stemmed monkeyflower. It is native to eastern and central North America, and has been introduced to the Pacific Northwest. It grows in a wide range of moist to wet habitat types, and its seeds are available from commercial suppliers. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb that grows between 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) and well over 1 meter (3.3 feet) tall, with a typically erect 4-angled stem. Its leaves are arranged oppositely, are lance-shaped to oblong, reach up to 8 centimeters (3.1 inches) long, and usually clasp the stem. The sessile (stalkless) leaves of M. ringens help distinguish it from its eastern relative, Mimulus alatus, which has leaves that grow on petioles (stalks) and a winged stem. All above-ground plant parts of M. ringens are hairless. Its flowers are 2.5 to 7.6 centimeters (1 to 3 inches) long, with a tubular base enclosed in a ribbed calyx of sepals with pointed lobes. The flower can be lavender, blue, red, or pink, and is split into an upper lip and a larger, swollen lower lip.
