Curtis Botanical Magazine Plate 283 - Mimulus ringens (Narrow-leaved Monkey-flower) | Original Hand-Colored Print

Original hand-colored antique botanical print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine - Plate 283, Mimulus ringens (Narrow-leaved Monkey-flower).

• Plate: 283
• Latin name: Mimulus ringens
• Common name: Narrow-leaved Monkey-flower
• Native region: Virginia and Canada
• Flowering: July and August
• Flower colour: Pale Violet
• Linnaean class / order: Didynamia / Angiospermia
• Publication: 1791
• Medium: Original hand-colored engraving (physical print, not a reproduction)

Original Curtis text
Transcribed from the plate's accompanying description page:

[ 283 ]

MIMULUS RINGENS. NARROW-LEAVED MONKEY-FLOWER.

. . .

Class and Order.
DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.

Generic Character.
Cal. 4-dentatus, prismaticus. Cor. ringens; labio superiore lateribus replicato. Capl. 2-locularis, polysperma.

Specific Character and Synonyms.
MIMULUS ringens erectus, foliis oblongis linearibus sessilibus. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 575. Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 361. EUPHRASIA floridana lysimachiæ glabre filiqulosæ foliis, quadrato caule ramosior. Pluk. Amalth. 83. t. 393. f. 3. LYSIMACHIA galericulata i. Gratiola elatior non ramola, &c. Gron. Fl. Virg. p. 97. DIGITALIS perfoliata glabra flore violaceo minore. Morif. Hist. 2. p. 479. f. 5. t. 8. f. 6. CLAYTON, in the Fl. Virg. published by GRONOVIUS, describes this plant as a native of Virginia, and lays of it, "maddis gaudet locis," it delights in wet places: LINNÆUS makes it a native of Canada also.

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 August; these are frequently succeeded by capsules containing perfect seeds, by which the plant may be propagated, as also by parting its roots in Autumn; MILLER recommends the feeds to be lown as foon as ripe. The plant succeeds best in a moist and somewhat shady situation, with a loamy soil. A perusal of the synonyms will shew to what a variety of genera this plant has been referred by different authors; LINNÆUS first gave to it the name of Mimulus, of which term we find in his Philosophia Botanica the following concise explanation:—"MIMULUS mimus personatus;" in plain English, a masked mimick: Mimulus is a classical word for the Pedicularist, or Lousewort; the English term Monkey flower has probably been given it, from an idea that mimulus originated from μιμα a monkey, as in mimops monkey face.

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This print comes from our Curtis archive (via the Royal Horticultural Society and Wheldon & Wesley). Sold as an original historic plate - please review photos for condition.