Myosurus apetalus var. montanus
Bristly mousetail
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Myosurus apetalus var. montanus (Bristly mousetail) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family, recognized by clearly distinguished by very long aggregate and high elevation habitat.
Bristly mousetail is a native annual found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, southern Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in wet meadows, bogs, and lake shores at elevations of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this delicate plant produces tiny, understated flowers with narrow scarious-margined sepals. Growing with slender, thread-like stems reaching just a few centimeters tall, it forms compact, low-growing clusters in moist environments. Its small leaves are narrow and sparse, typically emerging near the base of the plant in a minimalist rosette. The fruit develops into an elongated aggregate structure measuring 11 to 26 millimeters long, with a distinctively narrow rhombic outer surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; clearly distinguished by very long aggregate and high elevation habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, bogs, lake shores
Elevation: 1500-2500 m
Outside California: to Saskatchewan, North Dakota, New Mexico
Bloom period
Myosurus apetalus var. montanus blooms May-Jul.
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 var. montanus native to California?
Yes. Myosurus apetalus var. montanus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Myosurus apetalus var. montanus bloom?
Myosurus apetalus var. montanus blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Myosurus apetalus var. montanus belong to?
Myosurus apetalus var. montanus is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Myosurus.
What habitat does Myosurus apetalus var. montanus grow in?
Myosurus apetalus var. montanus grows in Wet meadows, bogs, lake shores.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.