Eastern Asian monkey flower
Mimulus tenellus
Family: Phrymaceae
What it is like
A creeping herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 40 cm high. The branches are 4 angled. The leaves are opposite and oval or triangle shaped. They are 1-2 cm long by 8-15 mm wide. There are teeth towards the end. The flowers are yellow and occur singly. They are in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a capsule 3-4 mm long. The seeds are small.
It has also been put in the family Scrophulariaceae.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in north-western China. It grows along ditches between 570-1,200 m altitude. It grows beside water . In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Taiwan, Tibet, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The leafy shoots are used as a potherb.
Edible parts
Leaves