Myosurus apetalus
Bristly mousetail
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Myosurus apetalus (Bristly mousetail) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family.
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.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated species with no sympatric congeners
Habitat and range
California counties: San Bernardino, Sierra, Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Madera, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Plumas, Tulare, Sacramento, Tuolumne, Placer, Tehama, Siskiyou, San Diego, Inyo
How to tell it apart
vs Triglochin: Myosurus has distinctive elongated cone-shaped fruiting heads; Triglochin has slender spikes of scale-like flowers.; vs Typha: Myosurus is a tiny annual inches tall; Typha is a robust perennial several feet tall with brown flower heads.; vs Sparganium: Myosurus has cone-shaped receptacles on single stems; Sparganium has round, burr-like heads in branched clusters.; vs Juncus: Myosurus is an annual with elongated fruiting cones; Juncus is perennial with round capsules in branched clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Myosurus apetalus native to California?
Yes. Myosurus apetalus is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Myosurus apetalus grow?
Myosurus apetalus occurs in San Bernardino, Sierra, Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Madera, Modoc, Mono and other counties.
What plant family does Myosurus apetalus belong to?
Myosurus apetalus is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Myosurus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.