Myosotis bryonoma
Synonyms
None - first described in 2018
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) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. 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. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
Brief description
Minute herb of high-elevation bogs and wet places in mountain ranges of Otago, New Zealand. Rosette leaves fleshy, bearing hairs on the leaf underside orientated parallel to midrib. Inflorescences
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand, South Island, Otago
Habitat
In damp to saturated high-elevation (subalpine to alpine) bogs, seepages, flushes, hollows, swamps, wetlands, and snow-melt streams and banks; on silt, peat, schist, basalt in exposed, sunny, flat or gently sloping open areas of smooth, short mossy bog turf containing mixed bryophytes, cushions -plants and small herbs
Detailed description
Single rosettes with fibrous roots. Rosette leaves 3–5, fleshy, petiolate; petioles sometimes wide, indistinct, not sheathing, 1.0–6.6 mm x 0.6–1.7 mm; lamina 2.5–7.4 mm x 1.5–4.5 mm, widest point usually at or above middle, rarely below middle, narrowly obovate to very broadly obovate, ovate to very broadly ovate, rarely narrowly elliptic, broadly elliptic, rotund, lanceolate, or oblanceolate; apex obtuse, with hydathode on abaxial side; trichomes 0.2–0.7 mm long, straight, antrorse, appressed, sparsely to densely distributed (but abaxially usually glabrous), adaxially and abaxially oriented parallel relative to the midrib. Inflorescences 1–5 per rosette, prostrate to ascending, unbranched (rarely once-branched), 10–45 mm long, wholly bracteate, with up to 3–7 cauline leaves per inflorescence (including all branches) and, of these, 1–3 associated with flowers and 2–4 not associated with flowers; adventitious roots lacking at tips; scape 0.4–1mm wide; trichomes 0.2–0.6 mmlong, straight, antrorse, appressed, sparsely to densely distributed, sometimes overlapping. Lowest cauline leaves generally petiolate; petioles 0.9–5.0 mm x 0.5–1.2 mm; lamina 2.7–6.9 mm x 1.6–3.3 mm, oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, rarely elliptic or obovate to broadly obovate; apex obtuse, with hydathode on abaxial side; trichomes as on rosette leaves. Uppermost cauline leaf sessile; lamina 2.5–6.0 mm x 0.9–2.6 mm, oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, lanceolate to ovate, or rarely elliptic or obovate; apex obtuse or acute, with hydathode on abaxial side. Flowers up to 1–3 per inflorescence (including all branches), each subtended by a cauline leaf. Internodes up to 0–1.6 mm long at flowering or 0–4.7 mm long at fruiting. Pedicels up to 0.4–1.1 mm long at flowering or 0.6–6.5 mm long at fruiting; trichomes 0.2–0.9 mm long, straight, antrorse, appressed to patent, densely distributed, sometimes overlapping. Calyx 1.1–3.3 mm long at flowering or 1.8–3.2 mm long at fruiting x 1.6–3.4 mm wide at the top at fruiting; calyx lobes 1.4–2.1 mm x 0.5–1.1 mm at fruiting, lobed to 0.5–0.9 the length of the calyx; trichomes 0.1–0.8 mm long, straight, antrorse, appressed, densely distributed, sometimes overlapping, and inside densely distributed and overlapping. Corolla 1.3–6.6 mm diameter, white with yellow faucal scales; corolla lobes 0.4–2.5 mm x 0.6–2.1 mm, obovate to very broadly obovate, rarely ovate or very broadly ovate); corolla tube 1.6–4.2 mm long from base to faucal scales, 0.5–2.2 mm wide at faucal scales. Stamens 1.7–4.8 mm long; filaments 0–0.3 mm long, attached to corolla tube below faucal scales, 1.0–3.8 mm above base of corolla tube; anthers 0.5–1.1 mm long, included, sometimes partially exserted, only tips reaching faucal scales. Style 1.1–5.9 mm long at flowering, 1.9–5.4 mm long at fruiting. Nutlets 4, 1.1–1.9 mm x 0.7–1.1 mm, ovoid, convex or keeled, winged or scarcely winged, smooth, shiny, light brown
Similar taxa
Differs from M. tenericaulis by the shorter and wider petioles, smaller and fleshier leaves, abaxially glabrous rosette leaves, appressed parallel-oriented trichomes on the rosette leaves adaxially, and few-flowered inflorescences that have shorter internodes. Differs from M. colensoi and M. cheesemanii by the shorter rosette leaf petioles, abaxially glabrous rosette leaves, and the shorter calyx and corolla tube. Differs from M. brevis and all other M. pygmaea species-group species by the larger corollas, shorter calyx trichomes, and (except for M. glauca) straight, appressed trichomes on the rosette leaves adaxially. Distinguished ecologically from other New Zealand Myosotis by being restricted to mountain bog habitats.
Flowering
November - April
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Fruiting
February - April
Propagation technique
Myosotis bryonoma is not known to have been successfully cultivated.
Threats
Myosotis bryonoma was listed as M. aff. tenericaulis (AK 7570; Garvie), as Taxonomically Indeterminate At Risk–Naturally Uncommon RR, Sp (de Lange et al. 2013). Meudt & Prebble (2018) agreed with that assessment. The species though occupying a large area is never particularly common, biological sparse and tied to small areas of suitable alpine bog habitat.
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
bryonoma: Meaning ‘dwelling in moss’ the epithet is derived from the Greek words ‘bryon’ (moss) and ‘nomos’ (place or condition for living).
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 3 June 2018. Description adapted from Meudt & Prebble (2018).
References and further reading
Meudt, H.M.; Prebble, J.M. 2018: Species limits and taxonomic revision of the bracteate-prostrate group of southern hemisphere forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae), including description of three new species endemic to New Zealand. Australian Systematic Botany 31: 48-105
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis bryonoma Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-bryonoma/ (Date website was queried)