Diplacus nanus
Dwarf monkeyflower
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Diplacus nanus (Dwarf monkeyflower) is a native California herb in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by tufted growth form and distinctive throat markings.
Dwarf monkeyflower is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, and Great Basin in openings within sagebrush or on disturbed granite slopes at elevations of 1,000 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces magenta or lavender-purple flowers with a distinctive yellow-dotted throat and two prominent yellow folds. Growing in tufted or mound-like clusters just 1 to 12 centimeters tall with branching stems that have longer proximal internodes, it forms compact ground-hugging mats. Its leaves are oblanceolate to linear, 3 to 30 millimeters long, green with a purplish underside and acute to rounded tips. The fruit ranges from 6 to 12 millimeters long, with slightly unequal calyx lobes and a somewhat oblique mouth when mature.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species; distinguished by tufted growth form and distinctive throat markings
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in sagebrush or on disturbed slopes, generally around granite
Elevation: 1000-2300 m
Outside California: to Washington, Montana, Wyoming
Bloom period
Diplacus nanus 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 nanus native to California?
Yes. Diplacus nanus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Diplacus nanus bloom?
Diplacus nanus blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Diplacus nanus belong to?
Diplacus nanus is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Diplacus.
What habitat does Diplacus nanus grow in?
Diplacus nanus grows in Openings in sagebrush or on disturbed slopes, generally around granite.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.