a genus of low annual or perennial herbs of the family Scrophulariaceae; they are rarely subshrubs. There are approximately 100 species, distributed primarily in the nontropical areas of America, particularly in the west. Some species grow wild in Europe. In the USSR there are three wild species (Far East) and three imported species. Some varieties are cultivated as decorative border annuals because of the unusual form and color of their large, bilabiate corollas. The most frequently raised plants of this genus are Mimulus guttatus, M. luteus, and their hybrid form—M. tigrinus. M. tigrinus is distinguished by the various colors and markings on the underside of its corollas.