Taxon Report

Erythranthe inflatula (Suksd.) G.L. Nesom

ephemeral monkeyflower

Print Report


© 2020 Dean Wm. Taylor

Taxon Summary

Erythranthe inflatula, commonly known as ephemeral monkeyflower, is a annual herb in the Phrymaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1250 to 1740 meters. Erythranthe inflatula is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Erythranthe inflatula (Suksd.) G.L. Nesom
Common Name:
 ephemeral monkeyflower
Family: Phrymaceae
Element Code: PDSCR1B370
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:
  • Mimulus evanescens Meinke

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: annual herb
Blooming Period: May-Aug May-Aug
Elevation: 1250-1740 (4100-5710)
General Habitats: Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat: Gravelly (sometimes), Rocky (sometimes), Vernally Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2
Global Rank: G3
State Rank:
 S2
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: BLM_S; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 26
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 2
   Good (B) 9
   Fair (C) 3
   Poor (D) 5
   None (X) 1
   Unknown (U) 6

Location
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Modoc (MOD), Shasta (SHA), Siskiyou (SIS)*
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bray (4112168), Champs Flat (4012068), Corders Reservoir (4012172), Crank Mountain (4112142), Davis Creek (4112063), Donica Mtn. (4112132), Lane Reservoir (4112017), Lauer Reservoir (4112064), Letterbox Hill (4112018), Likely (4112025), Lookout (4112122), McDonald Peak (4012084), McGinty Reservoir (4112075), Perez (4112163), Poison Lake (4012162), Snowstorm Mtn. (4012063), South Mtn. (4112076), Spalding Tract (4012067), Spaulding Butte (4112152), Straylor Lake (4012171), Sugar Hill (4112073), Swains Hole (4012163)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 6
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
15 58 %
Grazing 11 42%
Foot traffic/trampling 7 26%
Road/trail construction/maint. 2 7%
Insufficient population/stand size 1 3%
Non-native plant impacts 1 3%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 1 3%

Notes
Possibly threatened by trampling and hydrological alterations. On review list in ID, and candidate for state listing in OR. Similar to E. breviflora; possibly a hybrid between E. breviflora and E. latidens. See Great Basin Naturalist 55(3):250 (1995) for original description, Phytoneuron 2012-39:1-60 (2012) for revised nomenclature, and Phytoneuron 2012-41:1-36 (2012) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 January 2025].