Taxon Report

Diplacus pictus (Curran ex Greene) G.L. Nesom

calico monkeyflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Diplacus pictus, commonly known as calico monkeyflower, is a annual herb in the Phrymaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Broadleafed upland forest, and Cismontane woodland, growing at elevations from 100 to 1430 meters. Diplacus pictus is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Diplacus pictus (Curran ex Greene) G.L. Nesom
Common Name:	calico monkeyflower
Family:	Phrymaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR1B240
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Mimulus pictus

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Mar-May	Mar-May
Elevation:	100-1430 (330-4690)
General Habitats:	Broadleafed upland forest, Cismontane woodland
Microhabitat:	Disturbed areas, Granitic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	73
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	4
Good (B)	25
Fair (C)	6
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	37

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Kern (KRN), Tulare (TUL)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Arvin (3511827), Bear Mountain (3511826), Bena (3511836), Chickencoop Canyon (3611838), Cummings Mtn. (3511815), Democrat Hot Springs (3511856), Frazier Valley (3611828), Glennville (3511866), Grapevine (3411888), Keene (3511825), Lebec (3411877), Lindsay (3611921), Loraine (3511834), Miracle Hot Springs (3511855), Mt. Adelaide (3511846), Oil Center (3511848), Oiler Peak (3511835), Onyx (3511862), Pastoria Creek (3411887), Pine Mountain (3511857), Quincy School (3511878), Rio Bravo Ranch (3511847), Rocky Hill (3611931), Sand Canyon (3511868), Success Dam (3611818), Tehachapi NE (3511823), Tehachapi North (3511824), Tehachapi South (3511814), Tejon Hills (3511817), Tejon Ranch (3511816), Weldon (3511863), White River (3511877), Winters Ridge (3411886), Woody (3511867)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	8
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	17	23 %
Grazing	9	12%
Non-native plant impacts	4	5%
Other	3	4%
Road/trail construction/maint.	3	4%
Foot traffic/trampling	2	2%
Mining	1	1%
Dam/Inundation	1	1%
Erosion/runoff	1	1%

Notes



Threatened by grazing and non-native plants. See Bulletin of the California Academy of Sciences 1:106 (1885) for original description, Phytoneuron 2012-39:1-60 (2012) for revised nomenclature, and Phytoneuron 2013-66:1-8 (2013) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 13 February 2025].