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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE BUTTERCUP FAMILY | |||||||||
| The buttercup family is common in temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere. These plants are usually herbs, but may also be vines or shrubs. The stems do not have spines or prickles. The stem leaves are alternate or occasionally opposite or whorled. The leaves can be simple or compound but are at least lobed in the majority of species. The margins may be entire or toothed. The flowers are in several different types of clusters, from solitary flowers to branched, unbranched or umbrella-like groups. The flowers are commonly lacking petals and have coloured sepals. One to several whorls of bracts may be present below the flowers. The ovary consists of several separate carpels which mature to form an aggregate fruit or berry. The aggregates may be of pods or of single-seeded fruits that resemble seeds. | |||||||||
| BRISTLY MOUSETAIL | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Myosurus apetalus var. borealis | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Bristly mousetail grows as tall as 12 cm from fibrous roots. The stems are leafless. The basal leaves are linear and up to 8 cm long. The flowers are solitary and exceed the leaves. Heads develop in fruit when the receptacle elongates and the many carpels develop into fruits. The heads are 5 to 10 mm long and appear roughened because the beaks of the fruits turn outwards. The sepals are 1-veined and have a dry margin. The petals are white. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Bristly mousetail grows in clayey soils on slough edges and mudflats, and in prairie depressions. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland, and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Bristly mousetail is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is only somewhat regionally restricted in the province. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY BRISTLY MOUSETAIL | |||||||||
| * Are the stems leafless and less than 12 cm tall? * Are the fruits in roughened heads that are 5 to 10 mm long? * Are the leaves linear? * Did you find it in southwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found bristly mousetail! | |||||||||
