Lewis Monkeyflower (Mimulus lewisii)
Berkeley Park Meadow, Mount Rainier N.P., WA 8/2011.
Named after Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806.
“With erected ears and extended jowls, this gaping, grinning ape of the damp, grassy jungle greets us cutely with its impudent, animated poise… an exaggerated grin (gives) rise to its Latin name, which is derived from the greek mimus, a small, mimicking ape or buffoon. ” F.W. Stack Wildflowers Every Child Should Know (1909).
Very nice! This flower looks similar in many ways to the Chinese foxglove.
http://btweenblinks.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/my-featured-flower-for-2011-chinese-foxglove/
September 29, 2011 at 7:43 am
And it reminds me to another native, prairie agalinis, that in the same family as the monkeyflower:
http://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/prairie-agalinis-flowers
October 14, 2011 at 4:50 am