Myosurus apetalus

Bristly mousetail

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bristly mousetail is a California native annual found in grassland and open woodland habitats. Flowering from March to May, this tiny plant produces small greenish-white flowers arranged in delicate, sparse clusters. Growing with slender stems 1.5 to 12.5 centimeters tall, it forms compact, low-growing clusters close to the ground. Its leaves are narrow and linear, emerging in a basal rosette and providing a subtle green backdrop to the distinctive floral structure. The fruit develops with a distinctive beak that extends slightly beyond the leaf surface, creating a unique silhouette in its native grassland environment.

California counties: San Bernardino, Sierra, Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Madera, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Plumas, Tulare, Sacramento, Tuolumne, Placer, Tehama, Siskiyou, San Diego, Inyo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.