Myosotis drucei
Common names
Druce’s forget-me-not
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Cream, Yellow
Detailed description
Decumbent, annual or rarely short-lived perennial herb, forming small circular patches on open ground. Rosette-leaves 15 × 5 mm long (sometimes more), lamina obovate or broadly spathulate, obtuse, petiole broad; upper surface hairy except towards base, undersurface almost or quite glabrous, hairs of upper leaf surface tapering to soft ± flexuous tips; spreading. Lateral branches up to 8, decumbent, 30–150 mm long, usually branched, internodes usually less than leaves. Stem-leaves similar to rosette-leaves near base, becoming sessile above, bracts ovate to broad-oblong, distichous, exceeding internodes, diminishing in size, the lowest up to 10 × 5 mm. Cymes usually simple, few- to many-flowered, bracteate throughout; internodes usually less than bracts, sometimes very short; pedicels much smaller than calyx, very hairy. Calyx 3–5 mm long, usually lobed to halfway, lobes subacute; hairs long and ± retrorse short, not stiff or hooked. Corolla 3.0 mm diameter, cream to lemon-coloured, tube 2–3 mm long, cylindric, lobes narrow with obtuse tip; filaments very short, anthers < 1 mm long, wholly included, tips occasionally reaching level of scales; style less than calyx in length, stigma capitate. Nutlet 1.1–1.7 × 0.8–1.0 mm, ovate to ovate-elliptic, black, usually well immersed within calyx remnant.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku. From Mt. Hikurangi south through the main axial ranges to Fiordland, also on Banks Peninsula on the high points of Stewart Island. Evidently very uncommon on Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku.
Habitat
Subalpine to alpine. Usually on stable scree, fellfield, stony ground and at the bases of rock tors in places subject to frequent immersion.
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 | Taxonomically Indistinct
Threats
Not Threatened. However like most indigenous Myosotis this species is not that common either. There are no known threats facing the species.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Myosotis pygmaea var. drucei L.B.Moore
Taxonomic notes
Myosotis pygmaea var. drucei was elevated to species rank by de Lange and Barkla in de Lange, et al. (2010).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–February
Fruiting
December–April
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. However, plants are short-lived and prone to fungal diseases in humid climates.
Other information
New Zealand botanical history
For a brief biography of AP (Tony) Druce, for whom this plant is named, see this article in Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Hundreds of Tony’s famed plant lists can be found here and back-issues of regional Botanical Society Journals which he contributed can be accessed here.
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
drucei: Named after Anthony (Tony) Peter Druce, one of New Zealand’s most respected field botanist (1920-1999).
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.
MYODRU
Chromosome number
2n = 44
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NStr, Sp
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 “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) 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.
de Lange PJ, Heenan PB, Norton DA, Rolfe JR, Sawyer JWD. 2010. Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch. 471 p.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 30 August 2009. Description adapted from 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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis drucei Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-drucei/ (Date website was queried)