Myosotis laingii
Common names
Waiautoa forget-me-not
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Rosette open, leaves few, lamina 80–150 × 10–20mm, elliptic-oblong, very gradually tapering into long-winged petiole, tip acuminate to mucronate; hairs short, fine, appressed, not overlapping, on undersurface similar but fewer, longer on sheathing leaf bases. Lateral branches erect, 150–400mm long, internodes mostly < leaves. Stem leaves few, uppermost c. 25 × 7mm, ± oblong, subacute; hairs as on rosette leaves but longer. Cymes simple, ebracteate, c. 12-flowered; internodes > calyx in fruit; pedicels c. 2mm long. Calyx 5–6mm long, lobes > ½ length, narrow, acute; hairs crowded, on lobes long and flexuous, towards base shorter and some hooked. Corolla apparently yellow (probably white when fresh fading to yellow when dry) 8–10mm diameter, tube funnelform and 5–7mm long, lobes c. 4 × 3mm, ± oblong; filaments fixed about level of scales, anthers c. 2mm long, wholly above scales; style very slender, > 2× calyx in fruit, stigma capitate. Nutlets not seen.
Similar taxa
Myosotis laeta, M. traversii from which M. laingii differs by having large yellow rather than white flowers with anther tips protruding above petals and few leaves on flower stem.
Distribution
Endemic. South Marlborough. Known only from collections made from terraces adjacent to the Clarence River near Lake Tennyson. There are also a few specimens of it gathered by J. Buchanan from there
Habitat
River terraces, 800-1400m a.s.l.
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 | Extinct
Threats
Myosotis laingii is known only with certainty from a handful of specimens collected between 1860-1912. It has not been collected since.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
No information available
Fruiting
Specimens with seed are unknown.
Propagation technique
No information available.
Other information
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
laingii: Named after Robert Malcolm Laing (1865-1941), a botanist and phycologist from Canterbury, who focused on Banks Peninsula, the Canterbury foothills, Campbell Island, the Spencer Mountains and Norfolk Island.
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 | Extinct
2012 | Extinct
2009 | Extinct
2004 | Data Deficient
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 laingii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-laingii/ (Date website was queried)