Blotched Monkey Flower - Mimulus luteus - Western Isles Wildflowers
Blotched Monkey Flowers
These lovely yellow flowers blotched with red markings and spots and tubular in shape are to be seen in many places on The Western Isles.
Although not strictly speaking wildflowers as the species is thought to have been introduced, they now seem to grow in huge swatches, particularly near streams and damp moorland.
Hebrides wildflowers at their best!
Perennial
It is a perennial which easily spreads and here it seems to thrive on damp ground. The mimulus luteus, blotched monkey flower picture above was taken of a specimen that was just growing alongside one of the tiny streams that runs down from the moorland tops to the beach at Ghioridail - Tolsta - Western Isles
Description
These flowers grow to a height of up to 12 inches, Throughout summer, it bears snapdragon-like, yellow flowers, speckled and blotched with red markings.
The opening to the flower is hairy, as can be seen in the top photograph.
Spread
These flowers are said to have a spread of 24ins - however just take a look at the picture at the left of this page lower down, which shows an almighty mass of the thriving snapdragon like wildflowers, it was taken in June, on the moorland by a running stream that is above the lovely Ghioradail beach, Tolsta.
Leaves
The leaves are mid green in the summer and are rounded, paired and hairy
Second Species of Mimulus to be seen on the Islands
There is another mimulus species that can occasionally be seen here in The Western Isles.
It is Mimulus guttatus which , a similar plant which usually has plain yellow flowers growing up to 2ft tall. Sometimes the two species hybridise and you get a mix of the two different mimulus species.
Click pictures below for larger photographs
