Diplacus rattanii
Rattan's monkeyflower
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Diplacus rattanii (Rattan's monkeyflower) is a native California herb in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by single flowers per node and inflated calyx.
Rattan's monkeyflower is a California native annual found in the north Coast Ranges, central western California, and Peninsular Ranges in sandy, open areas around sandstone outcrops and disturbed landscapes at elevations of 90 to 1,220 meters. Flowering from April to July, this delicate plant produces pink to magenta flowers with yellow throat folds, blooming solitarily at each node. Growing with slender stems up to 18 centimeters tall, it spreads in low, compact clusters across sandy terrain. Its leaves vary from narrowly elliptic to obovate, ranging 3 to 46 millimeters long, with lower leaves smooth and upper leaves slightly hairy. The small flowers feature a calyx 5 to 9 millimeters long, widely ribbed and swollen, with short, nearly equal lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species; distinguished by single flowers per node and inflated calyx
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy, open places, especially around sandstone outcrops or burns, other disturbed areas
Elevation: 90-1220 m
Bloom period
Diplacus rattanii 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 rattanii native to California?
Yes. Diplacus rattanii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Diplacus rattanii bloom?
Diplacus rattanii blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Diplacus rattanii belong to?
Diplacus rattanii is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Diplacus.
What habitat does Diplacus rattanii grow in?
Diplacus rattanii grows in Sandy, open places, especially around sandstone outcrops or burns, other disturbed areas.
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.