Seep Monkey Flower
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(Mimulus guttatus)
Seep Monkey Flower at the base of the bluffs near Fort Point.
Will Elder, NPS
Origin Of Genus Name: Mimulus is Latin for "little mime or comic actor," for the face-like corolla. Presidio Locations: Found in freshwater seeps and other wetlands. Range In State: Throughout California. Description: This native, perennial shrub has smooth to hairy leaves on long stems with clusters of smaller leaves that are sticky with a resin that protects against desiccation. The yellowish-orange, tubular flowers have red dots that differentiate it from Sticky Monkey Flower. The name 'Seep' -- a wetland that forms in areas where groundwater discharges to the land surface-- comes from the flower being found in the understory of riparian plant communities, where soil is often moist. Blooms March to October. Native Californian Uses: Miwok boiled the leaves for food and used a decoction for treating skin sores. The Kawaiisu used a decoction of the stems and leaves as a steambath for chest and back soreness. |
Did You Know?
In the three days following the 1906 earthquake, the Army's refugee camps at the Presidio issued 3,000 tents, 12,000 shelter halves, 13,000 ponchos, 58,000 pairs of shoes, and 24,000 regulation blue shirts.