Consider-the-Lilies Web Gallery
Allegheny Monkey Flower
Now why would this tiny native lily be given this name?
I can say with some confidence that it is not because this perennial wildflower is favored by the "Allegheny Monkey."
This elusive creature is so hard to find in the Shenandoah Valley that it might be considered to be extinct—if it ever existed!
No, it seems that some of the first settlers in North America—probably on a slow day—pinched these blue-purple blossoms and saw a resemblance to a monkey's face.
Unfortunately, I didn't know this when I took these pictures, so as is my usual practice, the Mimulus ringens blossoms seen here are "unpinched."
If you'll use your imagination, for now, perhaps you can perceive the resemblance. (I can't!)
Perhaps next season, Lord willing, I'll pinch an Allegheny Monkey Flower, and it will all come clear.
A member of the large Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) family, which also includes the cultivated garden flowers, Foxglove and Snapdragon, this lily favors a wet habitat.
I found these beauties gracing a shady thicket at the edge of marshland.
Other wild members of this family to be seen in the Gallery include Butter-and-eggs, Speedwell, and Turtle Head.
Any thoughts, pro or con? Why not drop me an anonymous note at the Comments page?
OR
Go back to the Main Directory to consider more lilies of the field.