Erythranthe guttata
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
monkey musk
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
A robust soft herb forming bright green leafy clumps or large masses. Plants grown up to 60 cm tall on wet/damp ground. The leaves are sparsely hairy (or not) and corrugated between the viens, and may have a short petiole (or not). The yellow flowers are up to 40 mm long and have red spots/blotches inside the throat of the flower.
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Detailed description
Erect perennial herb to 60 cm tall. Rhizomes. Stems thick, stiff, occasionally branched. Leaves opposite, oval, up to 12 x 8 cm, usually hairless, bright green, toothed-edged. Flowers 3 cm diameter, on stalks, yellow with red spots on bearded lower lip, with a long corolla tube, throat closed with five rounded lobes. Seed capsule 1 cm long, 2-valved, with many patterned seeds.
Similar taxa
Similar in appearance to Erythranthe moschata which is a smaller sticky-hairy perennial and does not have red blotches on its flowers. Also similar to E. lutea var. lutea which has more decumbent stems, a glabrous inflorescence.
Distribution
Throughout, although uncommon northwards from Hamilton
Habitat
Lowland to montane regions, alongside streams, rivers, lakes, drains and swamps.
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Phrymaceae
Synonyms
Mimulus guttatus DC.
Ecology
Flowering
November to March
Fruiting
Autumn
Year naturalised
1878
Origin
W. North America
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Tolerances
Tolerant to hot-cold, wind, semi-shade, most soils.
Control techniques
Included on the Northland Regional Council pest management strategy. Report if found in Northland. Can be controlled manually, mechanically or herbicidally depending on situation.
Life cycle
Perennial, reproduces from seed and rhizome fragments. Dispersal by water movement and dumped soil.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
OBL: Obligate Wetland
Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
guttata: From the Latin guttatus ‘spotted’
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
ERYGUT
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Johnson PN, Brooke PA (1989). Wetland plants in New Zealand. DSIR Field Guide, DSIR Publishing, Wellington. 319pp.
Popay et al (2010). An illustrated guide to common weeds of New Zealand, third edition. NZ Plant Protection Society Inc, 416pp.;
Attribution
Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA).