Myosotis brevis
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Cream, White
Detailed description
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.
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.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, EF
Threats
A plant of free-draining but seasonally moist habitats. It cannot tolerate over-shading, 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.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Myosotis pygmaea var. minutiflora G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson
Taxonomic notes
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).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September to April
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.
Other information
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
brevis: Short
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
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: EF, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: EF, RR, Sp
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DP, EF
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable
Referencing and citations
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.
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).
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)