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Bush Monkey-flower
Mimulus aurantiacus


The Mimulus stigma can be described as "irritable". An entering bee or long-tongued fly, bearing pollen, brushes against the stigma and the lobes fold together dramatically. The bee continues down the flower tube to get to the stamen but the flower cannot be accidently self-pollinated now. If the visitor bears no pollen, the stigma relaxes and the stigmatic surfaces will expose themselves again shortly.