Erythranthe, the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers, is a diverse plant genus with more than 120 members in the family Phrymaceae. Erythranthe was originally described as a separate genus, then generally regarded as a section within the genus Mimulus, and recently returned to generic rank. Mimulus sect. Diplacus was segregated from Mimulus as a separate genus at the same time. Mimulus remains as a small genus of eastern North America and the Southern Hemisphere. Molecular data show Erythranthe and Diplacus to be distinct evolutionary lines that are distinct from Mimulus as strictly defined, although this nomenclature is controversial.
Scientists grew seeds of a wildflower collected before and during California's severe 2012-2016 drought, and found that plants at the edge of the species' mountain range evolved faster flowering and better survival, while populations at lower elevations struggled, hinting that the species' range may shrink as the climate keeps changing.
