Douglas’s Monkeyflower, Brownies
Diplacus douglasii
NATIVE
Description (Jepson, PlantID.net)
- Eudicotyledon
- Eudicots are a major lineage of flowering plants; see family for general characteristics
- Lopseed Family (Phrymaceae)
- Diminutive, upright annual herb
- Leaves
- Basal and ovate
- Upperside shiny green
- Flowers
- Inflorescence (flower arrangement) of 1-5 flowers from the leaf base
- Comparatively long flower tube on a stubby pedicel (stalk of a single flower)
- Bilaterally-symmetrical flower of 5 fused petals forming a lobed pouch
- Upper 2 lobes are prominent (suggesting mouse ears)
- Lower 3 lobes are extremely reduced
- Magenta, with a golden-striped throat
- Stamens (male flower parts) in 2 groups of 4, with orange pollen
- Ovary superior (above the attachment of other flower parts)
- Inflorescence (flower arrangement) of 1-5 flowers from the leaf base
- Fruit is a capsule (a dry, multi-chambered fruit that splits open at maturity)
- Height to 1.6 in.
Distribution
- Native to California
- Grows in chaparral and foothill woodlands, on bare clay, serpentine, or granitic soils, “generally along upper banks of small creeks” (Jepson)
- 65-74% of plants occur on ultramafic soils, e.g. serpentine; see ultramafic affinity rankings (Calflora per Safford and Miller 2020)
- See Serpentine Grassland for more about Edgewood’s serpentine soil and the unique communities it supports
- See Calflora for statewide observations of this plant
- Outside California, found in southwestern Oregon
- Grows at elevations between 150 and 4,000 ft.
Uses (San Mateo County Parks prohibits removal of any natural material)
- Nectar source for insects and hummingbirds
- No human uses found for this species
Name Derivation
- Diplacus (DIP-la-kus) – from the Greek di, “two,” and plax/plakos, “a disk,” referring to the double placenta of the seed capsule (Ritter 2015)
- douglasii (DUG-las-ee-eye) – named for David Douglas (1798-1834), Scottish botanist and collector
- Over 80 scientific names of plants and animals honor Douglas, more than any other person
- At Edgewood, 9 scientific plant names honor Douglas, e.g. blue oak (Quercus douglasii) and California mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana), as well as several common names, e.g. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) and Douglas’ microseris (Microseris douglasii ssp. douglasii)
- Purple mouse-ears – for the 2 prominent upper lobes of the flower
Notes
- Previously included in the Figwort family and the Mimulus genus
- Individual flower blooms for only 1 to 2 days
- Pollinated by insects when flower is open, or buds may remain closed and self-pollinate (cleistogamous) when conditions are unfavorable
- Cleistogamy is a unique survival approach, especially beneficial for an annual plant
- Production of seed occurs without the need of an outside pollinator
- Botanical term is derived from the Greek kleistós, “closed,” and gamos, “marriage”
- Cleistogamy is a unique survival approach, especially beneficial for an annual plant
ID Tips
- When in bloom, this tiny plant can’t be confused with any other Edgewood flower
- May require intense searching to find, but it’s always worth the effort!
At Edgewood
- Grows in chaparral and serpentine barrens
- See iNaturalist for observations of this plant
- Flowers February – April
Specific References
Alexander, E.B. 2010, Oct. & 2011, Jan. Serpentine soils and why they limit plant survival and growth. Fremontia 38/39: 28-31.
David Douglas [Frontispiece illustration]. 1836. W.J. Hooker. Companion to the Botanical Magazine (Vol. 2). Public Domain.
Ritter, M. 2018. California Plants: A Guide to Our Iconic Flora. Pacific Street Publishing, San Luis Obispo, California.
Safford, H.D. 2010, Oct. & 2011, Jan. Serpentine endemism of the California flora. Fremontia 38/39: 32-39.
Safford, H.D. and J.E.D. Miller. 2020. An updated database of serpentine endemism in the California flora. Madroño 67(2): 85-104. BioOne Complete. PDF hosted by San Diego State University, San Diego, California.