Herbs , 3.3-16 cm. Leaf blades linear or very narrowly oblanceolate, 1.8-9.5 cm. Inflorescences: scapes 2.2-12 cm. Flowers: sepals faintly 3-veined, scarious margins narrow or absent; petal claw 1-3 times as long as blade. Heads of achenes 13-42 × 2-3 mm, long-exserted from leaves. Achenes: outer face orbiculate or sometimes square, 0.8-1.2 × 0.6-1 mm, 0.8-1.2 times as high as wide, bordered by prominent ridge; beak 0.6-1.2 mm, 0.6-1.2 times as long as body of achene body, weakly divergent from outer face of achene, heads of achenes thus roughened by projecting achene beaks. 2 n =16.

Flowering late winter-spring (Mar-May). Dry hillsides or canyon bottoms in shrubland; 350-1800 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Nev., N.Mex., Tex., Utah; Mexico (Baja California and Sonora).

The Navaho-Ramah used Myosurus cupulatus medicinally both externally and internally as an aid for ant bites or swallowing an ant (D.E. Moerman 1986).

Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Dwarf annual, 3.3-16 cm tall.

Leaves: Narrowly linear to narrowly linear-spatulate, 1.8-9.5 cm, 1-2 mm wide, faintly 3-5 nerved.

Flowers: Scapes 2.2-12 cm long, slender, sepals faintly 3-nerved, scarious margins or absent, about 2.5 mm long, slender spur 1.5 mm long; petals about equaling sepals, narrowly linear with claw 1-3 times as long as blade; spikes 1.5-5 cm long, 2-2.5 mm in diameter at maturity.

Fruits: Achenes, outer face orbiculate or sometimes square, 1-1.3 mm long, base of beak surrounded by thickened ridge, light yellow.

Ecology: Found on dry hillsides and canyon bottoms in shrubland and in moist ground along streams from 2,500-5,000 ft (762-1524 m); flowers February-April.

Notes: The achene is the character that separates the Myosurus, in M. cupulatus the outer face of the achene is bordered by prominent ridge.

Ethnobotany: Taken internally or as a lotion for ant bites or the effects of swallowing an ant.

Etymology: Myosurus translates to mouse- tail, pertaining to receptacle when mature, while cupulatus means cup-shaped.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley, 2010