The genus ''Myosurus'', or mousetail, belongs to the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...

. It comprises about 15 species of annual scapose herbs. These herbs are nearly

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

(lacking in eastern

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and tropical regions), with a center of diversity in western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. The flowers are easily recognised by bearing 6

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s with numerous

ovaries The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are endocr ...

on a stalk (accounting for the name "mousetail"). Selected species: *''

Myosurus apetalus ''Myosurus apetalus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae known by the common name bristly mousetail. It is native to much of western North America, as well as Chile. It grows in moist and wet habitat, such as marshes, mea ...

'' - bristly mousetail *''

Myosurus cupulatus ''Myosurus cupulatus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae known by the common name Arizona mousetail. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in moist and dry habitat types in de ...

'' - Arizona mousetail *''

Myosurus minimus ''Myosurus minimus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae known by the common name tiny mousetail or just mousetail. It is native to much of the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North ...

'' - tiny mousetail *''

Myosurus nitidus The genus ''Myosurus'', or mousetail, belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. It comprises about 15 species of annual scapose herbs. These herbs are nearly cosmopolitan (lacking in eastern Asia and tropical regions), with a center of diversity in ...

'' - western mousetail *''

Myosurus sessilis ''Myosurus sessilis'' is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name vernal pool mousetail. It is native to southern Oregon and the Central Valley of California, where it grows in vernal pools and other wet gras ...

'' - vernal pool mousetail

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA: North American Species
Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae genera {{Ranunculaceae-stub