07 - 08.pdf - University of Georgia

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MlMULUS RlNGENS. NARROW-LEAVED
MONKEY-FLOWER.
Oafs and Order.
DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.
Generic Character.
CaL 4-dentatus, prifmaticus. Cor. ringens ; labio fuperiore
lateribus replicate, Capf.> 2-locularis, polyfperma.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
MlMULUS ringens ere&us, foliis oblongis linearibus feffilibus.
Linn. Syfl. Vegetal, ed. 1 4. Murr. p. 575. Ait.
Kew. "v. 2. p. 361.
EUPHRASIA floridana lyfimachise glabras filiquofse foliis, quadrato
caule ramofior. Pluk.Amalth. 83. t. 393. /. 3.
LYSIMACHIA galericulata f. Gratiola elatior non ramola,
&c. Gron. Fl. Virg. p. 97.
DIGITALIS perfoliata glabra flore violaceo minore. Morif.
Hift. 2. p. 479. f. 5 . t . 8./. 6.
CLAYTON, in the Fl. Virg. publifhed by GRONOVIUS,
defcribes this plant as a native of Virginia, and fays of it,
" maddidis gaudet locis," it delights in wet places: LINNAEUS
makes it a native of Canada alfo.
It is a hardy, perennial,, herbaceous plant, growing with us to
the height of about two feet, and producing its flowers, which
are of a pale violet colour, in July and Auguft ; thefe are fre
quently fucceeded by capfules containing perfeft feeds, by
which the plant may be propagated, as alfo by parting its
roots in Autumn ; MILLER recommends the feeds to be Ibwn
as foon as ripe.
The plant fucceeds beft in a moift and fomewhat fhady
fituation, with a loamy foil.
A perufal of the fynonyms will mew to what a variety of
genera this plant has been referred by different authors; LIN-
N^EUS firft gave to it the name of Mimulus, of which term we
find in his Pbilofophia Botanica the following concife explana
tion : "MIMULUS mimus perfonatus;" in plain EnglHh, a
maiked mimick : Mimmulus is a claffical word for the Pedicularis,
or Loufewort ; the Englifh term Monkey flower has
probably been given it, from an idea that mimulus originated
from pipu a monkey, as in mimufops monkey face.
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