Myosotis cheesemanii
Common names
forget-me-not
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Perennial herb forming diffuse to semi-compact cushions 20–50 × 15–30 mm. Branches rooting freely from old leaf bases. Stems leafy, erect, branching several times. Leaves 12 × 5 mm, elliptic, sub acute, petiole of similar length, broad; leaf hairs stiff, appressed, imbricating on upper surface, on undersurface sparse; hairs on petiole forming a long fringe. Lateral branches immersed in cushion, internodes < leaves. Stem-leaves 7 × 2 mm, linear-oblong, sessile, very hairy, hairs appressed on both surfaces. Inflorescence a simple 2–4-flowered cyme, with each flower subtended by a bract, internodes and pedicels short. Calyx 5 mm long when in flower, lobes < half length of calyx, narrowly acute; hairs uniform and closely appressed. Corolla white, 7–8 mm diam., tube cylindric, 6 mm, corolla lobes 3 × 3 mm, rounded; filaments short, anthers 1.5 mm, projecting above rather large scales. Style 2× calyx length. Nutlets ovate, 1.4–1.9 × 0.8–1.2 mm.
Similar taxa
Myosotis cheesemanii is very close to M. colensoi from which it differs by its low cushion-forming rather than open mat-forming habit, uniform rather than variable leaf hair length, short rather than long lateral branches which unlike M. colensoi do not extend beyond the rosettes. Both species are also ecologically distinct: M. colensoi is confined to limestone rock and associated soils, M. cheesemanii a high alpine of cushion field and snow banks.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (apparently confined to the Pisa and Dunstan Ranges, Central Otago).
Habitat
Alpine. Mainly found in cushionfield. It has been recorded once from a snow bank.
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 Critical | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, RR
Threats
This species until recently remained little known to botanists. At least five populations are now known, and while most are small, at least one comprised 100 plants. Careful survey for this species is needed, as well as long-term monitoring of one or more populations to determine the species life cycle, and overall long-term stability.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Unknown
Fruiting
Unknown
Propagation technique
Unknown
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
cheesemanii: Named after Thomas Frederick Cheeseman (1846 - 15 October 1923) who was a New Zealand botanist and naturalist who, in 1906, produced The Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
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.
MYOCHE
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 Critical | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NS, NStr, RR, St, TL
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 February 2008. Description based on Allan (1961)
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.