Diplacus compactus
Compact monkeyflower
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Diplacus compactus (Compact monkeyflower) is a native California annual in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by swollen reddish calyx and stigma ratio.
Compact monkeyflower is a California native annual found in the southern Sierra Nevada foothills from Mariposa to Tulare counties in burned areas, chaparral openings, and disturbed habitats at elevations of 90 to 1,250 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces yellow to red-purple flowers with dark-based lobes, creating a striking corolla 8 to 12 millimeters wide. Growing with delicate stems 2 to 28 centimeters tall, it appears compact and low-growing in its native habitat. Its leaves are obovate to narrowly elliptic, measuring 4 to 40 millimeters long, with the lowest leaves typically glabrous. The plant's distinctive calyx is swollen and becomes reddish as the fruit develops, reaching 6 to 11 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species; swollen reddish calyx and stigma ratio
Habitat and range
Habitat: Burns, openings in chaparral, disturbed areas
Elevation: 90-1250 m
Bloom period
Diplacus compactus blooms Apr-Jul.
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 compactus native to California?
Yes. Diplacus compactus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Diplacus compactus bloom?
Diplacus compactus blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Diplacus compactus belong to?
Diplacus compactus is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Diplacus.
What habitat does Diplacus compactus grow in?
Diplacus compactus grows in Burns, openings in chaparral, disturbed areas.
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.