Myosotis angustata
Synonyms
None
Family
Boraginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons 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: RR, St
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: St, OL
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, North West Nelson, Kahurangi National Park, Mt Arthur.
Habitat
Alpine. On shaded marble outcrops and associated talus.
Features
Tufted, perennial, grey-green, rosette forming herb. Rosette-leaves 20 x 4 mm, linear-spathulate, apex sub acute. Leaf-hairs coarse, of two types, small and long, these usually appressed, overlapping. Lateral branches few, ascending to erect, up to 150 mm long in fruiting specimens, internodes < leaves. Stem-leaves 15-20 x 2-4 mm, linear to narrow-oblong, apex sub acute, hairs as for rosette-leaves. Inflorescence simple, sometimes branched, compact terminal cyme, 10-20 mm long when in flower, elongating to 50 mm when in fruit. Calyx 5-8 mm, lobes cut to half calyx length, sub acute; hairs on lobes long, straight and numerous, towards base changing to long and hooked with an underlayer of short, straight, appressed hairs. Corolla white, 7 mm diam., tube 5-6(-8-10) mm, cylindric, corolla lobes 2.5 x 2.5 mm, broad-oblong; filaments fixed between small scales, about length of anthers.
Similar taxa
Could be confused with M. traversii Hook.f. (var. traversii and var. cantabrica L.B.Moore). These have their anthers partly included within the corolla-tube, while the hairs on the undersurfaces of the rosette leaves are retrorse, and the long hairs of the calyces are all or almost all hooked. M. traversii var. traversii is known from scree in Kahurangi National Park.
Flowering
December - February
Flower colours
White
Fruiting
January - April
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Threats
Apparently confined to single location in Kahurangi National Park. At this location although the species appears to be genuinely uncommon, indications are that the population is stable. The species qualifies for Nationally Critical because the total area of occupancy is < 1 ha.
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
angustata: Narrowed
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 angustata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-angustata/ (Date website was queried)