Myosotis brevis
Synonyms
Myosotis pygmaea var. minutiflora G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson
Family
Boraginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
MYOBRE
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 Vulnerable | Qualifiers: EF, RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DP, EF
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands. In the North Island known from East Cape, the South Taranaki Coast, Kapiti Island, along the South Wellington Coast, and at Cape Palliser. In the South Island, locally present in Marlborough, Canterbury, and Central Otago.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine, in open and more or less shingly places.
Features
Decumbent, annual or rarely short-lived perennial herb, forming small circular patches on open ground. Rosette rather compact, densely to sparsely leafy. Petiole narrow or broad, 3-5 mm long. Leaves 8-25 x 4-10 mm, green, dark green, bronze-green to brown-green, obovate to spathulate or clavate, apex obtuse, rounded, base often oblique, otherwise attenuate, upper leaf surface with copious, stiff to coarse, spreading, straight hairs, undersides glabrescent or glabrous. Lateral branches numerous, decumbent, 10-30(-60) mm long, usually hidden within, though sometimes extending beyond rosette leaves. Stem leaves similar to rosette leaves, shortly petiolate. Bracts sessile, 5-7 x 1-4 mm, narrow oblong, obovate to spathulate, base oblique, subopposite to opposite, overlapping. Inflorescences cymose, cymes simple, few- to many-flowered, subtended by leafy bracts throughout, internodes 2-3(-6) mm long. Calyx 2-3 mm long, elongating to 3-5 mm in fruit, lobes deeply cut to half calyx length, subacute to acute, spreading at fruiting, copiously covered in shortly erect, spreading silky hairs. Flowers subsessile to sessile, white, cream, pale yellow, sometimes striped with blue. Corolla 0.5-1 mm diameter, corolla tube narrowly cylindric, 1-2 mm long, lobes obtuse to subacute; stamens on short filaments, anthers 0.1-0.2 mm, wholly included within corolla tube, anther tips obscured, rarely reaching scales; style 0.1-0.3, stigma capitate. Nutlets 0.9-1.1 x 0.6-0.8 mm, brown-black to grey-black, ovate to ovate-elliptic, distinctly keeled on ventral surface
Similar taxa
Myosotis brevis is most similar to M. pygmaea which is the only one of the M. pygmaea complex (comprising M. brevis, M. drucei, M. glauca and M. pygmaea) with which M. brevis has been found growing sympatrically. From M. pygmaea, M. brevis is best distinguished by its annual habit, much smaller flowers, 0.5-1 mm in M. brevis, 1.5-3 mm in M. pygmaea.
Flowering
September to April
Flower colours
Cream, White
Fruiting
October to August
Propagation technique
Usually a strict annual which in good conditions self sows readily. Easily grown from fresh seed but can be difficult to maintain and dislikes humid conditions.
Threats
A plant of free draining but seasonally moist habitats. It cannot tolerate over shading and so is very vulnerable to taller weed species invading its habitats. Land development is threatening some populations, and has possibly been responsible for the recent loss of others.
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
brevis: Short
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Notes on taxonomy
Myosotis brevis is a new name and rank for the plant previously treated as M. pygmaea var. minutiflora. A new name at species rank was required for that variety because of the prior existence of another unrelated overseas species M. minutiflora. Myosotis brevis was formalised by de Lange and Barkla in de Lange et al. (2010).
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for the NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2006. Description by P.J. de Lange and subsequently published in de Lange et al. (2010).
References and further reading
de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis brevis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-brevis/ (Date website was queried)