Vernal pool mousetail facts for kids

The vernal pool mousetail (scientific name: Myosurus sessilis) is a small, interesting flowering plant. It gets its common name because its long, thin flower parts look a bit like a mouse's tail! This plant is part of the buttercup family, which includes many beautiful flowers.

About the Vernal Pool Mousetail

The vernal pool mousetail is a tiny plant. It grows as a small clump, usually no taller than 10 centimeters (about 4 inches). Its leaves are very narrow and long, like thin blades of grass. They can grow up to 7 centimeters (about 2.7 inches) in length.

Where it Lives

This special plant is native to two main areas in the United States. You can find it in southern Oregon and in the Central Valley of California. It loves to grow in very specific places called vernal pools.

What are Vernal Pools?

Vernal pools are temporary ponds that fill with water during the rainy season. They dry up completely later in the year. These unique habitats are home to many plants and animals that can survive these changing conditions. The vernal pool mousetail is one of these amazing plants. It also grows in other wet grassland areas.

Its Flower and Life Cycle

The vernal pool mousetail produces a single, unique flower. This flower has a long, main part called a receptacle. This receptacle can be shaped like a cylinder or a cone and grow up to 3 centimeters (about 1.2 inches) long.

At the bottom of this long part, you'll find small, curved leaf-like structures called sepals. These sepals often have little spurs, which are small pointed growths. The flower also has three to five tiny petals. Petals are the colorful parts of a flower that often attract pollinators.

The vernal pool mousetail is an annual plant. This means it completes its entire life cycle in just one year. It grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies, all within a single season. The new seeds will then grow the next year when conditions are right.