Mousetail (Myosurus minimus) is a membe of the Buttercup family and is an annual herb.
This plant can reach a height of between 3 – 12cm on a delicate stem.
The flower of this plant is a pale yellow colour , sometimes it can be so pale it looks white. The petals are often 5 – 8 mm wide and there are between 5 – 7 petals per flower. The leaves have long stalks with blunt edges and a blade that is barely as wide as the stalk itself.
Mousetail appears in the early spring but grows quickly in the damp ground. It begins to flower in May when it is still a very small plant at only a few centimetres high. The small flowers are visited by flies but mousetail is often self pollinating. When the plant begins to produce seeds it is at this stage that the plant recieved its name ‘mousetail’ as it is this stage of its life that it begins to look very similar to the tail of a mouse.
Height: Up to 15cm
Flowering Time: April to May
Preferred Conditions: Prefers to grow in nutrient rich soil that is common to flooding every season.