MYOSURUS MINIMUS

Family and Genus:- See- RANUNCULACEAE

Common Name:- Mousetail

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Myosurus (Gr) Mouse-tail, (the fruiting receptacle).

Minimus (Gr) Small, less.

General description:- Small, scapose annual

Scapes:-

1) (1-)3-10, somewhat longer than the leaves and longer than the fruiting receptacle,

remaining slender in fruit or slightly swollen above but distinctly narrower than

the fruiting head.

Leaves:-

1) In a basal rosette, linear, entire, somewhat fleshy, 1-6 cm.

Flowers:-

1) Perianth-segments, 3-4 mm, linear-oblong, spurred at the base.

2) Honey-leaves, with a short, oblong limb.

3) Pedicels, 5-12 cm, slender in fruit, longer than the fruiting receptacle.

4) Sepals, 5(-7), 2-4 mm long, with a basal spur appressed to upper part of scape.

5) Receptacle, much elongating in fruit to form a tail-like fruiting head 15-35 x c. 2.2

mm.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, 1-1·5 mm, tightly packed, prismatic or triquetrous, with a low dorsal

ridge extending into a mucro.

Key features:-

1) Pedicels, slender in fruit, longer than the fruiting receptacle.

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Habitat:- Vernal pools in dolines. 1200-1350 m. with other small herbs, e.g.

Juncus bufonius and Sambulos valerandi.

Distribution:- Scattered in the mountains of mainland Greece. - Widespread in

Europe, W Asia and North America, declining in many areas. Rare on Crete,

currently known from a few scattered locations in the Dikti and Thripti mountains.

Flowering time:- May to early June.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons