Myosurus minimus

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 284. 1753.

Illustrated
Synonyms: Myosurus lepturus Greene Myosurus lepturus var. filiformis (Greene) Greene Myosurus minimus subsp. major (Greene) G.R. Campbell Myosurus minimus var. filiformis Greene Myosurus minimus var. major (Greene) K.C. Davis
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Herbs, 4-16.5 cm. Leaf blades narrowly oblanceolate or linear, 2.2-11.5 cm. Inflorescences: scape 1.8-12.8 cm. Flowers: sepals faintly or distinctly 3-5-veined, scarious margins narrow or absent; petal claw 1-2 times as long as blade. Heads of achenes 16-50 × 1-3 mm, exserted beyond leaves. Achenes: outer face narrowly rhombic to elliptic or oblong, 0.8-1.4 × 0.2-0.6 mm, 1.5-5 times as high as wide, not bordered; beak 0.05-0.4 mm, 0.05-0.3 as long as body of achene, parallel to outer face of achene, heads of achenes thus appearing smooth. 2n=16.


Phenology: Flowering spring (Mar–Jun).
Habitat: Wet fields, vernal pools, banks of streams and lakes
Elevation: 0-3000 m

Distribution

V3 1027-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Man., Ont., Sask., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.Mex., N.C., N.Dak., Okla., Oreg., Pa., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., Wash., Wyo., Mexico (Baja California), Europe, swAsia, nAfrica.

Discussion

Plants of Myosurus minimus from a few sites in coastal southern California, northern Baja California, and immediately west of Riley, Oregon, sometimes have short scapes, so that the heads of achenes are immersed in the leaves. These plants, which have been called M. minimus subsp. apus (Greene) G. R. Campbell, M. minimus var. apus Greene, or M. clavicaulis M. E. Peck are indistinguishable from some recombinant lines found in M. minimus × sessilis hybrid swarms (see discussion under M. sessilis), but they occur outside the current range of M. sessilis. D. E. Stone (1959) has suggested that they resulted from past hybridization between the two species, perhaps at a time when M. sessilis had a wider range than it does now.

The Navaho-Ramah used Myosurus minimus medicinally to apply to antbites (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Myosurus minimus"
Alan T. Whittemore +
Linnaeus +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, Ont. +, Sask. +, Ala. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.Mex. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Va. +, Wash. +, Wyo. +, Mexico (Baja California) +, Europe +, swAsia +  and nAfrica. +
0-3000 m +
Wet fields, vernal pools, banks of streams and lakes +
Flowering spring (Mar–Jun). +
W2 +  and Illustrated +
Myosurus lepturus +, Myosurus lepturus var. filiformis +, Myosurus minimus subsp. major +, Myosurus minimus var. filiformis +  and Myosurus minimus var. major +
Myosurus minimus +
Myosurus +
species +