Monkey flowers

Photo - Creative Commons - Anne Burgess

Monkey flowers are found at Lassintullich growing in the ditch alongside the road. They like wet conditions. They are not native and having been introduced from North America.

The name comes from a supposed similarity of the flower to a smiling monkey. The leaves are edible but are bitter and the bitterness increases with age although it can be removed by heating.

There are many species of Mimulus and some concentrate salt in their leaves to such an extent that they have been used as a source of salt. One species (Mimulus lewisii) has hairs on the leaves that catch insects upon which it feeds to gain protein.