Monkey Flower
Monkey Flower, a large genus of annual or perennial herbs or shrubs found on all continents except Europe and Antarctica. The wild monkey flower is common in western North America. The plant's Latin name, mimulus (little mimic), refers to the red, orange, yellow, blue, or purple flowers that are often spotted in such a way that they resemble faces. The toothed or smooth-edged leaves grow opposite each other. Most species have hairy or sticky stems one to four feet (30 to 120 cm) high. However, the dwarf monkey flower has a stem only about four inches (10 cm) high.
The wild monkey flower is Mimulus guttatus; dwarf monkey flower, M. nanus. Monkey flowers belong to the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae.
Monkey flowers have hairy or sticky stems one to four feet high.