The genus ''Myosurus'', or mousetail, belongs to the
buttercup
''Ranunculus'' is a large genus of about almost 1700 to more than 1800 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots.
The genus is distributed in Europe, ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
(Ranunculaceae). It comprises about 15 species of annual scapose herbs. These herbs are nearly
cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
(lacking in eastern
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
and tropical regions), with a center of diversity in western
North America. The flowers are easily recognised by bearing 6
stamens with numerous
ovaries
The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. T ...
on a stalk (accounting for the name "mousetail").
Selected species:
*''
Myosurus apetalus'' - bristly mousetail
*''
Myosurus cupulatus'' - Arizona mousetail
*''
Myosurus minimus'' - tiny mousetail
*''
Myosurus nitidus'' - western mousetail
*''
Myosurus sessilis'' - vernal pool mousetail
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA: North American Species
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae genera
{{Ranunculales-stub