Myosotis petiolata
Common names
forget-me-not
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Slender, tufted, bronzed-leaf perennial herb, forming rather open patches up to 1 m. Rosette leaves 8-15(-35) x 10(-25) mm, orbicular, apex apiculate, rarely retuse, borne on long, slender petioles; hairs short, stiff, straight and closely appressed, widely spaced, with longer fringing hairs on sheathing leaf-base. Lateral branches many, rather widely spaced, somewhat trailing, suberect to erect 50-100 mm long, producing offset rosettes; internodes = or > than leaf length. Stem-leaves narrowly oval, upper ones sessile, apiculate, hairs as for rosette leaves. Inflorescence a simple, many-flowered cyme, 40-120 mm long. Calyx 1.5-2(-3) mm, lobes cut almost to base, narrowly acute, spreading in fruit; hairs sparse, short, stiff, like those on leaves. Corolla white, 6-8 mm diam., tube flaring widely, corolla lobes oblong, spreading, scales about level to calyx-tips; filaments long. anthers prominently exserted beyond corolla; style up to 3 x calyx length in fruit. No description of nutlets is known.
Similar taxa
M. petiolata is most likely to be confused with M. forsteri, and non-flowering M. spathulata, two species which are superficially similar and can grow in similar habitats. From both M. petiolata can be easily separated by its much larger flowers which have prominently exserted anthers and the often brownish leaf colouration. Field recognition: forming loose brownish coloured patches in which individual rosettes are difficult to distinguish
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island. Formerly recorded from several North Island Hawkes Bay (Allan 1961) localities and at one South Island site near Takaka, North West Nelson. A recent re-circumscription restricts M. petiolata to the eastern North Island where it is known now from only one site in the Te Waka Range, inland Hawkeʻs Bay. Records from East Cape can be attributed to M. pottsiana (Meudt et al. 2013)
Habitat
Lowland to montane forest. Apparently confined to limestone outcrops and associated soils.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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: OL
Threats
Based on herbarium specimens and a preliminary examination of the few wild populations known, M. petiolata would appear to be a biologically sparse entity favouring base-rich substrates. Because there are few plants known from the wild, little is known about this plants ecology, and it may be vulnerable to weed invasions it is currently classified as Nationally Critical.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Boraginaceae
Taxonomic notes
South Island plants referred to Myosotis petiolata do not appear to be closely related to either M. petiolata s.s. (Meudt et al. 2013).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - February
Fruiting
Unknown
Propagation technique
Can be grown with difficulty from rooted pieces and fresh seed. Requires specialist knowledge and care to maintain. Tends to be rather short-lived.
Other information
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
petiolata: Having leaf-stalks
Chromosome number
2n = c.36
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP, OL
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Goverment Printer, Wellington.
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.
Meudt, H.M.; Prebble, J.M.; Stanley, R.J.; Thorsen, M.J. 2013: Morphological and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data show that New Zealand endemic Myosotis petiolata
(Boraginaceae) comprises three rare and threatened species. Australian Systematic Botany 26: 210-232.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared by NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 February 2008. Description subsequently published in de Lange et al. (2010). For a more recent assessment see Meudt et al. (2013).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis petiolata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-petiolata/ (Date website was queried)