Erythranthe moschata
Common name
musk
Synonyms
Mimulus moschatus Lindl.
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.
ERYMOS
Brief description
Sticky-hairy clumps that grow up to 10 to 40 cm tall. The leaves are pale green and small (10 to 40 mm long) with a short petiole. The yellow flowers are up to 20mm long.
Distribution
Lower North Island and throughout the South Island, absent from Auckland and Northland.
Habitat
Lowland to montane regions, alongside streams and rivers, in seepages and swamps.
Features
Glandular-hairy perennial herb forming sprawling mats. Leaves opposite, lanceolate to ovate up to 5 x 2.5 cm in length and width. Leaves toothed or entire with a short petiole. Flowers yellow, up to 2 cm long, with a long corolla tube, throat open with five rounded lobes. Seed capsule 5 mm long, ovoid
Similar taxa
Similar in appearance to E. guttata which is larger in all parts. It is not sticky-hairy perennial and has red blotches on its flowers.
Flowering
November to March
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
Autumn
Life cycle
Mainly seed dispersal by water movement and dumped soil.
Year naturalised
1879
Origin
W. North America
Reason for introduction
Ornamental pond and garden plant.
Control techniques
Rarely problematic. Can be controlled manually, mechanically or herbicidally depending on situation.
Etymology
moschata: Musky
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.