Images
Click on image to view full size
Morphology
- Stem
- Ascending to erect, simple or branched above, 4-angled, glabrous; angles narrow-winged; branches spreading or ascending.
- Leaves
- Opposite, broadly ovate to broadly lanceolate, 1.2 to 4.8 inches long, .4 to 2.2 inches wide, glabrous; margins toothed; tip pointed; base tapering to narrowly-winged stalk .1 to 1.2 inch long.
- Inflorescence
- Pairs of flowers in leaf axils; stalks ascending, 1/12 to 1/3 inch long at flowering, longer in fruit.
- Flower
- Calyx 2/5 to 3/5 inch long, minutely pubescent within, tube strongly 5-angled; lobes 5, more or less equal, broad, tips bristle-like; corolla strongly 2-lipped, lavender, white, or purplish-blue; upper lip erect to reflexed, 2-lobed, .8 to 1.3 inch long; lower lip spreading, 3-lobed, glandular-hairy; throat with 2 elevated, yellowish ridges (palate) nearly closing throat; stamens 4, in 2 pairs of unequal length, included; style 2-lobed, included.
- Fruit
- Capsule, egg-shaped, 1/3 to 2/5 inch long, 2-celled, enclosed in persistent calyx; seeds numerous, tiny, oblong, light-brown.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Moist woods, stream banks, margins of lakes, marshy areas; partial shade; wet soil.
- Distribution
- East third of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
From Latin mimulus, diminutive of mimus, to "mimic" or "buffoon", alluding to the face of the corolla grinning and Latin alatus "winged".
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Phrymaceae - Lopseed Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 12-32 inches
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2025-02-15
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August, September