NC Common Wetland Plants Guide: Mimulus alatus

Coefficient of Conservatism Values (more info)

Mountains

Piedmont

Coastal Plain

National Wetland Plant List Status (more info)

Eastern Mountains/Piedmont

OBL

Coastal Plain

OBL

FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:

Note leaves with petioles (not sessile) and a winged, square-sided stem.

Description: Tall, branching, leafy herb with a thin rhizome, to 1.5 m.

Leaves: Mimulus alatus has leaves with petioles and its square-sided stems are distinctly winged.

Flowers/Fruit: Monkey-flowers have lavender tubular flowers. Mimulus alatus has sessile flowers. It blooms July to November, fruiting in fall. Fruit are generally oval-shaped, brown, and splitting when dry.

Habit and Range: Mimulus alatus (sharpwing monkey-flower) occurs predominately in the Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont, in ditches, marsh edges, and openings in bottomlands.

Typical Max Plant Height (m):

1.5

Leaf Arrangement:

Opposite

Leaf Division:

Simple

Leaf Margin:

Toothed, Serrated

Leaf Shape:

Lance-shaped (Lanceolate), Ovate

Inflorescence Color:

Purple

Fruit Color:

Brown

Lifespan:

Perennial

Group:

Dicot

Family:

Phrymacea / Lopseed

Ecoregions Found In:

Piedmont, Coastal Plain

COMMON CONFUSIONS:

Mimulus alatus (sharpwing monkey-flower) is similar to Mimulus ringens (Allegheny monkey-flower) but the two species seldom grow together in the same wetland or ditch. Noting leaf arrangement and length of flower stalks helps distinguish the two species from each other. Mimulus ringens has flowers on long stalks and leaves without petioles. Mimulus alatus has flowers on short stalks and leaves with petioles.

Click here to view Mimulus ringens.

Link to side-by-side comparisons page