Myosotis albosericea
Common name
Yellow forget-me-not
Synonyms
None
Family
Boraginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL, Sp
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Central Otago, southern Dunstan Range.
Habitat
Alpine. Amongst schist boulders in shade of rock tors.
Features
Tufted, perennial herb, producing one or more white-hairy rosettes. Leaves numerous, narrow-spathulate, 30 x 30 mm, apex sub acute, all parts covered in silky silvery-white hairs all of one type, uniformly stiff, straight, appressed, imbricating so as to hide leaf surface entirely. Lateral branches few, erect, up to 150 mm. Stem leaves sparse, upper ones sessile, narrow-oblong, 6 x 2 mm, apex sub acute. Inflorescence a simple, terminal cyme. Calyx 3 mm long, lobes > half length, narrow, acute. Corolla yellow, 5 mm diam., tube 4-5 mm, flaring toward top, corolla lobes 2.5 x 1.5 mm, oblong, filaments short, anther-tips below to just above scales; style » calyx in fruit,. Nutlets ovate, pointed and keeled, 1.7-2.1 x 1-1.1 mm long.
Similar taxa
A very distinctive species whose grey hairy foliage, branches, inflorescence stems and large yellow flowers readily distinguish it from all other New Zealand Myosotis species.
Flowering
November - January
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
January - April
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Threats
As far as is known this species has always been confined to a small portion of the Dunstan Range above the Kawarau River, near Cromwell. At present just the one population is known (and in fact this may be the same population as that discovered originally by John Buchanan and James Hector). That population has been regularly monitored for the greater part of 30 years, and seems to be stable. Nevertheless because the species is known from just the one site, within an area of < 1 ha it qualifies as Nationally Critical.
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
Where To Buy
A few plants are held by specialist growers. Very difficult to maintain in cultivation.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 February 2008. Description based on Allan (1961).
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington
Citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis albosericea Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-albosericea/ (Date website was queried)