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  4. Myosotis capitata

Myosotis capitata

Myosotis capitata - in cultivation.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Myosotis capitata - in cultivation.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
In cultivation.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Date taken: 1 December 2007, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
In cultivation.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Date taken: 1 December 2007, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
Young plant. Cultivated.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
Myosotis capitata.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
Myosotis capitata.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
Myosotis capitata.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
Campbell Island.<br>Photographer: Jane Gosden, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
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Campbell Island.<br>Photographer: Jane Gosden, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
Campbell Island.<br>Photographer: Jane Gosden, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Members can view this photo in high resolution
Myosotis capitata habitat, Adams Island.<br>Photographer: Geoffrey M. Rogers, Date taken: 15 January 2013, Licence: All rights reserved.
Myosotis capitata inflorescence, Adams Island.<br>Photographer: Geoffrey M. Rogers, Date taken: 15 January 2013, Licence: All rights reserved.
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Family

Boraginaceae

Authority

Myosotis capitata Hook.f.

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Chromosome number

2n = 46

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP

2004 | Range Restricted

Habitat

Found from sea level to 600 m a.s.l. in rocky places such as cliff faces, boulderfield and rock strewn ground, growing on thin peat soils and rock saprolite.

Features

Perennial rosette-forming herb. Rosette usually single, sometimes several and so appearing tufted; rosette lamina linear-oblong to spathulate, 30-120 × 10-25 mm, apex rounded, ± mucronate, petiole very wide and ill-defined; lamina densely clad in long, silky hairs, spreading, upper surface hairs numerous, hairs of leaf undersides shorter and sparser, tending toward glabrescent or glabrate. Lateral branches erect, few to many, occasionally branched, 50-300 mm long, internodes < leaves. Stem-leaves many, ± recurved, upper ones sessile and oblong, up to 40 mm long, tip rounded and mucronate; hairs long, fine, spreading, crowded, especially on upper surface. Cymes ebracteate, except for an occasional leaf near base, 8-flowered, short and usually branched; internodes between fruits usually much < calyx except towards base; pedicels very short. Calyx 3-5 mm long, lobes > 1/2 length, rather broad, obtuse, nerve rather strong, hairs numerous, not hooked, silky, mostly long. Corolla deep blue, 4-8 mm diameter, tube 3-5 mm, cylindric, lobes broadly rounded (e.g. 2.0 × 2.5 mm.) and flat; filaments very short, anthers up to 1 mm long, acute, tips reaching to or just beyond scales; style > calyx in fruit, stigma capitate. Nutlets 1.2-2.5 × 1.2-1.5 mm, black, acute, keeled on inner face.

Similar taxa

The uniformly dark blue pigmented flowers, bright green leaves and restriction to the Auckland and Campbell Island groups immediately distinguish this species from all other indigenous Myosotis spp. It could however be confused with the exotic M. sylvatica - which is commonly naturalised in New Zealand and not yet known from the Auckland and Campbell Islands. Myosotis sylvatica is much bigger than M. capitata, grows in a wider range of usually disturbed weedy habitats and the corolla-lobes of the flowers have a white base to them.

Flowering

November to February

Flower colours

Blue

Fruiting

December to February

Propagation technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild. Can be grown from fresh seed but dislikes humidity and excessive heat. In cultivation even apparently healthy plants are often prone to sudden collapse.

Threats

Not threatened. Listed because it is a narrow range endemic of the Auckland and Campbell Islands. Some past reports suggest it is becoming less common on Campbell Island but these observations are countered by other reports suggesting that while sparsely distributed it is still common there. It is for this reason this species has been qualified Data Poor (DP).

Etymology

myosotis: Mouse-eared

capitata: From the Latin capitus ‘head’, with a knob-like head or tip


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. Goverment Printer, Wellington.

Citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis capitata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-capitata/ (Date website was queried)

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