Myosotis pulvinaris
Common names
cushion forget-me-not
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Many-branched tufted silvery-grey to grey-green perennial forming compact rounded cushions up to 100 mm diameter, adventitious roots from branches. Stems 10-30 mm long, crowded, more or less erect, closely covered with imbricating leaves, the whole twig 5-10 mm diameter. Leaves c. 5-7 × 3-5 mm, the very broad-oblong lamina slightly narrowed to membranous sheathing base, tip very broad-obtuse; hairs long, silky, crowded, more or less appressed. Flowering lateral branches very short, often hidden, with a few narrow oblong leaves surrounding the solitary terminal almost sessile flower. Calyx c.3 mm long, lobes cut to half calyx length, subacute, finely hairy within, long soft hairs forming a complete cover outside. Corolla white, c.6 mm diameter, tube 4-5 mm long, lobes c.2 × 2 mm, broadly rounded, flat, overlapping at sinus; filaments short, anthers up to 1.5 mm long, tips protruding just above rather large scales; style 2-3× calyx, stigma capitate. Nutlets 1.3-1.9 × 0.8-1.1 mm, ovate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic, dark black.
Similar taxa
The compact, silvery-grey to grey-green, hairy cushion-forming growth habit of Myosotis pulvinaris is unique to this species and it is unlikely to be confused with any other except the yellow-flowered M. uniflora. From sterile specimens of that species, the white-flowered M. pulvinaris can be easily distinguished by its boardly spathulate rather than narrowly elliptic leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: Central Otago
Habitat
Alpine to high alpine. Found in fell field, cushion bog, on the margins of solifluction lobes and in fine, stable scree. Rarely present in rubble at the bases of schist outcrops and tors.
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Myosotis hectorii Hook.f.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - January
Fruiting
December - April
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially Available
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
pulvinaris: From the Latin pulvinar ‘a cushion’ and -aris ‘resembling’, meaning resembling a cushio i.e. convex or or rather flattened
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.
MYOPUL
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
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.
Otago: 2024 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NR, NS, NStr, Sp, TL
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Goverment Printer, Wellington.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange. 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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis pulvinaris Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-pulvinaris/ (Date website was queried)