Myosurus apetalus var. borealis

Bristly mousetail

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bristly mousetail is a native annual herb found in the northern California Ranges and Modoc Plateau in sagebrush habitats and marshy flats at elevations of 600 to 1,500 meters. Flowering in May, this delicate plant produces tiny flowers with wide scarious-margined sepals that are uniquely single-veined. Growing with slender, sparse stems typically less than 15 centimeters tall, it forms a low, sparse botanical profile across open landscapes. Its leaves are narrow and grass-like, emerging from the base of the plant in small, understated clusters. The fruit develops as a compact aggregate 4 to 9 millimeters long, with outer surfaces that are narrowly elliptic or rectangular.

Habitat: Flats, marshes, generally sagebrush

Bloom period: May

Elevation: 600-1500 m

Bioregions: CaR, MP

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