Myosotis saxosa
Synonyms
Exarrhena saxosa Hook.f., Myosotis amabilis Cheeseman
Family
Boraginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
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.
MYOSAX
Chromosome number
2n = 44
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL, St
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: OL, St
2004 | Sparse
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, Raukumara Range (Mt Hikurangi, Arowhana), Te Urewera National Park (Maungapohatu, Manuoha, Panekiri Bluff), and Hawke’s Bay (Maungahararu Range, Titiokura)
Habitat
Upper montane to alpine (> 1000 m a.s.l.) usually on limestone or similar calcareous substrates. Growing on rock ledges, in crevices and on talus, usually in relatively open habitats largely free clear or other vegetation.
Features
Compact to moderately compact, rosette forming, hoary, grey-green to green perennial herb. Rosette leaves numerous, often strongly overlapping; petiole 20-30 mm long, narrow, sheathing at base, lamina 20-30 x 5-10 mm, dark green to grey-green (due to hair covering), broadly ovate to obovate, apex apiculate, usually down turned (thus appearing emarginate); hairs copious, long, fine and silky, spreading, on undersides similar but more compact and more firmly appressed, sparse sometimes in antrorse/retrorse mixtures or regularly retrorse. Laterla branches ascending to erect up to 70 mm long, leafless below inflorescence, lower internodes < leaves. Cauline leaves 15 x 5 mm, elliptic, subacute to acute, sessile; hairs appressed, more delicate than those on rosette-leaves. Inflorescence cymose, 20 mm long, simple, ebracteate, up to 12-flowered; internodes < calyx; pedicels 2 mm long. Calyx 5-6 mm, lobes > 1/2 calyx length, oblong, subacute; hairs long, harsh to soft antrorse, with smaller, finer, more appressed often retrorse hairs forming a secondary layer below, flexuous, not hooked. Corolla 7-13 mm diameter, white, tube 3-5 mm long, cylindric to scale level, scales, vertical, elongate, confiend to mouth; tube flaring into a wide funneliform corolla with lobes 3 x 3.5 mm, filaments fixed between scales, reaching to lobes, anthers 1.5 mm; styles 5-8 mm long, stigma capitate. Nutlets 2.2. x 1.3 mm, black.
Similar taxa
Close to M. monroi Cheeseman which is an ultramafic endemic with yellow not white flowers confined to the Red Hills (north of the Wairau) and Mt Dun area of the South Island. NZPCN follow many other New Zealand botanists by including M. amabilis Cheeseman within M. saxosa, M. amabilis differs mainly by the more silky hairy rather than harsh hairy leaves which are said to be consistently rather than never aligned in a retrorse pattern on the undersides of the rosette leaves and calyx bases. However intermediates occur, even at the type locality of M. saxosa (Titiokura).
Flowering
November - January
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Fruiting
November - March
Propagation technique
One of the few New Zealand Myosotis species that can be easily cultivated at low altitudes. However, plants often fail to flower, and dislike high humidity and excess moisture (soon succumbing to powdery mildew and various rusts under such conditions). An excellent pot plant, which should be grown in a free draining, high fertility soil, placed in the full sun.
Threats
A very localised, sparsely distributed species which appears to be secure at its few known locations, partly because they are mostly high altitude habitats largely free of weeds.
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
saxosa: Rock dweller
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 February 2008. Description based on Allan (1961).
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Goverment Printer, Wellington.
Citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myosotis saxosa Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-saxosa/ (Date website was queried)