242 Pink to Red Flowers 



calyx long, campanulate, its triangular teeth very acute; corolla with 

 broad throat and bilabiate limb, lobes of the upper lip obcordate, of the 

 lower lip obovate. 



A tall handsome plant, with ample foliage. The leaves 

 are sharply toothed at the edges and very pointed at the 

 apex ; they grow in pairs, clasping the stem, and from their 

 axils spring the slender flower-stalks bearing brilliant ma- 

 genta blossoms. Each of these blossoms has a long green 

 calyx, from out of which comes the richly coloured tube, 

 that spreads open into two lips, the upper one being reflexed 

 and two-lobed and the lower one spreading and three-lobed. 

 The throat has two yellow patches inside and is covered 

 with white hairs ; indeed, the whole plant is extremely hairy 

 and sticky, and has a sweet sickly smell. 



The favourite haunt of the Red Monkey Flower is some 

 damp hollow, either in marshy ground or on the banks of 

 an alpine stream. Though never actually growing in the 

 water, it may frequently be found flourishing luxuriantly 

 on those little islands so common in the midst of mountain 

 rivers, where, sheltered by other large moisture-loving 

 herbs, it attains a height of from one to two feet. 



Mimulus is the diminutive of the Latin mimus, meaning 

 " a mimic actor," and alludes to the laughing face of the 

 flower, which appears to shoot out its ripe red lips in mock- 

 ery at the traveller as he passes by, opening its mouth in a 

 droll grimace that displays its yellow throat. Hence also 

 the common name Monkey Flower, given in allusion to the 

 ape-like pertness of the plant's appearance. Thus man has 

 set a " cap and bells " upon the Mimulus and appointed it 

 buffoon to the Court of Nature. 



