Erythranthe barbata explained

Erythranthe barbata, the bearded monkeyflower, is a species of plant in the lopseed family endemic to the southern Sierra Nevada mountains in the state of California.

Description

Erythranthe barbata is a small annual wildflower 2-15cm tall. Flowers are solitary. There are two color morphs: a yellow morph with all-yellow flowers, and a bicolor morph where one lip is a dark maroon-purple. Blooming occurs between May and August.[1]

Distribution and habitat

Erythranthe barbata is endemic to moderate-to-high elevations (1800-3400m) of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, occurring mainly in Tulare county with populations in Inyo and Kern counties. It grows on bare decomposed granite at the edges of meadows as well as in the understory of conifer forest, sometimes forming large single-species mats.

Notes and References

  1. Fraga, Naomi S. "A revision of Erythranthe montioides and Erythranthe palmeri (Phrymaceae), with descriptions of five new species from California and Nevada, USA." Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany 30.1 (2012): 49-68.