This winter’s abundant precipitation is resulting in a prolific display of a little yellow flower native only to western Nevada. The Carson Valley monkeyflower (Erythranthe carsonensis) is only found in the foothills and valley bottoms from the Red Rocks area north of Reno to the little town of Dresslerville, west of Gardnerville.
The diminutive plant, seldom more than a few inches tall, has a distinctive yellow flower with a large red spot on the lower petal and narrow, purplish-green leaves.
Making its home in sagebrush and bitterbrush shrub land, it grows on sandy soils and is often found near desert peach bushes. Conditions are just right this year for the monkeyflower and it has been seen on Prison Hill and the south Indian Hills area in Carson City.
If you see the Carson Valley monkeyflower, please contact Janel Johnson at the Nevada Natural Heritage Program at jdjohnson@heritage.nv.gov so the location can be recorded. The blooms will only last a few weeks before fading away to wait for the next wet winter.
There are 347 species and subspecies of animals and plants that are endemic to Nevada. For more information on the Nevada Natural Heritage Program or the Carson Valley monkeyflower, visit http://heritage.nv.gov.
— JoAnn Kittrell is Public Information Manager for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources