Diplacus kelloggii
Kellogg's monkeyflower
(c) Justin Paulin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Justin Paulin · licence
Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Diplacus kelloggii (Kellogg's monkeyflower) is a native California herb in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by tube 2x calyx, curved cylindrical fruits.
Kellogg's monkeyflower is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the northern Sierra Nevada foothills, and central Sierra Nevada forest regions in bare, unstable, or steep rocky areas at elevations of 50 to 1,525 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces magenta to red-purple flowers with a spotted-gold throat, featuring a distinctive tubular corolla 20 to 45 millimeters long that gradually widens toward the tip. Growing with hairy stems 1 to 31 centimeters tall, it spreads across unstable terrain with delicate, slightly curved growth. Its elliptic to obovate leaves are 6 to 40 millimeters long, typically with a purplish underside that adds subtle color to the plant's appearance. The fruit is a hard, slightly curved cylindrical capsule 6 to 12 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; tube 2x calyx, curved cylindrical fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Bare, unstable or disturbed areas; steep slopes of soil or scree
Elevation: 50-1525 m
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Diplacus kelloggii 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 kelloggii native to California?
Yes. Diplacus kelloggii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Diplacus kelloggii bloom?
Diplacus kelloggii blooms Mar-Jun.
What plant family does Diplacus kelloggii belong to?
Diplacus kelloggii is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Diplacus.
What habitat does Diplacus kelloggii grow in?
Diplacus kelloggii grows in Bare, unstable or disturbed areas; steep slopes of soil or scree.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
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.