Myosurus minimus Linnaeus. Common name: Mousetail. Phenology: Mar-May. Habitat: Usually in disturbed areas, such as fields in floodplains. Distribution: The species is circumboreal and also found in various places in the Southern Hemisphere. Widely distributed in North America, Eurasia, and the Southern Hemisphere. The pre-Columbian occurrence of Myosurus in parts of our area (such as the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of the Atlantic states) is uncertain; it may well be an alien, early introduced from more western parts of se. North America.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: A number of subspecies have been described; if these are recognized, our material in eastern North America is the typic ssp. minimus.
Other Comments: The plant is a winter annual, sprouting from seed in the fall, overwintering as a rosette, and flowering in early spring.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, F, FNA3, G, GrPl, GW2, Il, Mex, Mi, Mo3, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, RAB, S, S13, Tn, Tx, Va; = n/a — Pa, Tat; = Ranunculus minimus (L.) E.H.L.Krause — K4, POWO; > Myosurus minimus L. ssp. minimus — Campbell (1952). Basionym: Myosurus minimus L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Myosurus minimus - FNA3
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
- Great Plains: FACW
- Midwest: FACW
- Northcentral & Northeast: FAC
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect, rosette-forming annual mostly seen in disturbed areas, such as fields in floodplains.
Stems: Stems 1 or more leafless, unbranched and smooth flowering stalks.
Leaves: Leaves basal, linear, blunt-tipped, 2-4 in. long and shorter than to slightly exceeding the scapes, smooth.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers solitary and terminating each scape; whitish- to yellowish-green; consisting of 5 spreading, lance-oblong sepals, each with a downward-pointing, narrowly triangular, spurlike extension; 5 tiny petals; 5--10 stamens and an elongated, cylindrical ovary bearing multiple pistils.
Fruits: Fruit a conical, spike-like cluster of multiple flattened, rectangular achenes.
Comments:
Height: 2-6 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect, rosette-forming annual mostly seen in disturbed areas, such as fields in floodplains.
stems: Stems 1 or more leafless, unbranched and smooth flowering stalks.
leaves: Leaves basal, linear, blunt-tipped, 2-4 in. long and shorter than to slightly exceeding the scapes, smooth.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers solitary and terminating each scape; whitish- to yellowish-green; consisting of 5 spreading, lance-oblong sepals, each with a downward-pointing, narrowly triangular, spurlike extension; 5 tiny petals; 5--10 stamens and an elongated, cylindrical ovary bearing multiple pistils.
fruits: Fruit a conical, spike-like cluster of multiple flattened, rectangular achenes.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range:
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