Myosurus minimus L.
tiny mousetail (least mousetail)
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
tiny mousetail (least mousetail)
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, 4-15 cm tall.
Leaves:
In basal clump, simple, linear or narrowly oblanceolate, 2-10 cm long, entire.
Flowers:
Inflorescences of solitary, terminal flowers; flower shoots 4-15 cm long, shorter than leaves when flowering, but longer in fruit; bracts none; petals none to 5, distinct, white, linear to narrowly spoon-shaped, 1-2 mm long, long-clawed, the claw 1- to 2-times as long as blade, nectary on upper surface; sepals (3) 5 (-8), green, or with narrow membranous margins, narrowly oblong, 1.5-3 mm long, spurred, the blades slightly longer than spurs, 3- to 5-veined; stamens 5 to 10; pistils 60 to 100.
Fruits:
Achenes, 60 to 100 or more in a spike 16-50 mm long, 1-3 mm wide; beaks straight, 0.05-0.4 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Green
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Spring to Summer
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Myosurus minimus
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
1231 | 1231 | 1231 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
329 | 330 | 330 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
6 | 6 | 6 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
E | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
1 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
SBPS | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
SBPS(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Wet meadows, streambanks, seepage sites and vernal pools in the lowland and steppe zones; infrequent on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and SC BC; E to ON and S to VA, NC, TX, NM, AZ and CA; S Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Myosurus alopecuroides Greene
Myosurus clavicaulis M. Peck p.p.
Myosurus lepturus (A. Gray) Howell
Myosurus major
Myosurus minimus subsp. apus (Greene) G.R. Campb. p.p.
Myosurus minimus subsp. major (Greene) Campbell
Myosurus minimus subsp. minimus
Myosurus minimus var. apus Greene p.p.
Myosurus minimus var. clavicaulis (M. Peck) G.R. Campb. p.p.
Myosurus minimus var. filiformis Greene
Myosurus minimus var. interior Boivin
Myosurus minimus var. lepturus Gray
Myosurus minimus var. major (Greene) K.C. Davis
Myosurus minimus var. sessiliflorus (Huth) G.R. Campb.