Diplacus constrictus
Dense-fruited monkeyflower
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Diplacus constrictus (Dense-fruited monkeyflower) is a native California annual in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by oblique calyx mouth and hairy throat.
Dense-fruited monkeyflower is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, and northern Western Transverse Ranges on slopes and road banks near runoff areas at elevations of 790 to 2,090 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces pink to red-purple flowers with white throats marked by dark maroon radiating lines, the tubular blossoms 13 to 22 millimeters long. Growing with hairy stems 2 to 24 centimeters tall, it spreads in low, delicate clusters across disturbed ground. Its leaves are narrowly elliptic to obovate, measuring 5 to 32 millimeters long, with rounded teeth on the upper edges. The plant's distinctive calyx swells noticeably in fruit, reaching 8 to 12 millimeters and bearing coarse hairs that give the plant a textured, wild appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species; oblique calyx mouth and hairy throat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, road banks near runoff areas
Elevation: 790-2090(2380) m
Bloom period
Diplacus constrictus blooms May-Aug.
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 constrictus native to California?
Yes. Diplacus constrictus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Diplacus constrictus bloom?
Diplacus constrictus blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Diplacus constrictus belong to?
Diplacus constrictus is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Diplacus.
What habitat does Diplacus constrictus grow in?
Diplacus constrictus grows in Slopes, road banks near runoff 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.