LEWIS MONKEYFLOWER 



Mimulus lewisii Pursh 



In the neighborhood of Glacier, British Columbia, where I first saw 

 this striking monkeyflower, it grew luxuriantly. Along the streams 

 about timberline it found the habitat most suited to it, for although it 

 never grew in water, it needed the cool drippings from melting snows 

 higher up the slopes to sustain its lush growth. The large richly 

 colored flowers were in pleasing contrast with the green leaves. I 

 never found the plant in the Rockies east of the Columbia River 

 The specific name was given in honor of Meriwether Lewis of the 

 celebrated Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Northwest. Although 

 dissimilar in aspect, the monkeyflowers belong to the same family as 

 the elephanthead, shown in the preceding plate— namely, the Fig- 

 wort family. 



Lewis monkeyflower is found from Colorado to Arizona, Califor- 

 nia, and British Columbia and locally eastward to Minnesota. 



These specimens were gathered at an altitude of 3,500 feet. 



PLATE 374 



