Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus
Bigelow's monkeyflower
Photo: parent species Diplacus bigelovii · (c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus (Bigelow's monkeyflower) is a native California annual in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by leaf shape and stem proportions diagnostic.
Bigelow's monkeyflower is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada and northern Mojave Desert regions on rocky desert slopes and wash margins at elevations of 15 to 3,350 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces yellow to orange flowers with distinctive sharp-pointed petals. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it has a delicate and sprawling growth habit. Its leaves are uniquely shaped, with proximal leaves widely ovate to nearly round, and distal leaves that are as wide or wider, typically ending in sharp acute tips. The plant's distinctive leaf structure and ability to thrive in harsh desert environments make it a remarkable species of arid landscapes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; leaf shape and stem proportions diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky desert slopes, margins of washes
Elevation: 15-3350 m
Outside California: to southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona
Bloom period
Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus blooms Feb-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Erythranthe: Diplacus has a corolla that withers and stays attached and typically grows in dry, rocky places; Erythranthe drops its corolla cleanly and favors wet seeps and streambanks.; vs Mimulus: Diplacus covers the shrubby and small annual western monkeyflowers with ribbed, inflating calyces; Mimulus (in the strict sense) is a fleshy-stemmed perennial with squarish 4-angled stems.; vs Mimetanthe: Diplacus is puberulent to glandular with a distinctly 2-lipped flower; Mimetanthe is densely long-soft-wavy-hairy with tiny yellow flowers and a nearly regular calyx.; vs Collinsia: Diplacus has an open funnel-throated corolla and a 5-ribbed calyx; Collinsia has a sharply 2-lipped flower with the middle lower lobe folded into a keel that hides the stamens.; vs Antirrhinum: Diplacus has an open-throated corolla and free calyx lobes; Antirrhinum (snapdragon) has a closed, pouched throat sealed by a palate and a spurless sac at the base.
Frequently asked questions
Is Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus native to California?
Yes. Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus bloom?
Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus blooms Feb-Jun.
What plant family does Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus belong to?
Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Diplacus.
What habitat does Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus grow in?
Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus grows in Rocky desert slopes, margins of washes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.