Diplacus calycinus
Rock bush monkeyflower
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Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Diplacus calycinus (Rock bush monkeyflower) is a native California shrub in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by shrub in rock crevices 700-2200m.
Rock bush monkeyflower is a California native shrub found in rocky habitats of central and southern California in well-drained, exposed sites at elevations of 700 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces pale yellow to cream flowers with delicate petals nestled among boulder and rock crevices. Growing with glandular-hairy stems 30 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms a compact subshrub with a distinctive branching structure. Its leaves are narrowly elliptic with slightly serrated edges, typically rolling under during drought conditions and covered with fine unbranched hairs. The plant produces elongated fruits that split open along the upper suture, revealing seeds in a dramatic botanical display.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; shrub in rock crevices 700-2200m
Habitat and range
Habitat: Well-drained, exposed sites; crevices in boulders or rocks
Elevation: 700-2200 m
Bloom period
Diplacus calycinus blooms Mar-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 calycinus native to California?
Yes. Diplacus calycinus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Diplacus calycinus bloom?
Diplacus calycinus blooms Mar-Jun.
What plant family does Diplacus calycinus belong to?
Diplacus calycinus is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Diplacus.
What habitat does Diplacus calycinus grow in?
Diplacus calycinus grows in Well-drained, exposed sites; crevices in boulders or rocks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.