Erythranthe guttata
Common name
monkey musk
Synonyms
Mimulus guttatus DC.
Family
Phrymaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
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
Brief 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.
Distribution
Throughout, although uncommon northwards from Hamilton
Habitat
Lowland to montane regions, alongside streams, rivers, lakes, drains and swamps.
Features
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.
Flowering
November to March
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Fruiting
Autumn
Life cycle
Perennial, reproduces from seed and rhizome fragments. Dispersal by water movement and dumped soil.
Year naturalised
1878
Origin
W. North America
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
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.
Tolerances
Tolerant to hot-cold, wind, semi-shade, most soils.
Etymology
guttata: From the Latin guttatus ‘spotted’
Attribution
Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA).
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.;