On Sat, 24 May 2003 22:11:46 +0100, David Hill wrote:

Mimulus moschatus was introduced from North America in the early years of
the 19th centaury, and was strongly scented of Musk, then in the early part
of the last centaury it suddenly lost its scent, and it has never come back.
I wonder if the same thing happened to M.moschatus in North America.

It appears that the musk-scented form was a sport that does not
come true from seed. The most credible theory holds that when
nurserymen started growing it from seed instead of cuttings, it
"lost its scent". No one has ever found another such scented
plant in the wild, and there has been more searching for one than
you might think. Any Oregonians paying close attention?

My own plant is unscented, grown for sentiment's sake, a lineal
descendant of a scented plant. Hardly worth garden room -- I keep
it in a hanging basket in the shade.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada