Myosotis traversii var. traversii
Common names
Travers forget-me-not
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Tufted perennial herb dying back to rootstock in winter. Rosettes one or several, leaves spathulate, 20-70 × 4-9 mm, petiole broad and ill-defined; hairs copious on both surfaces, those on abaxial surface shorter, finer, sparser and distinctly retrorse, few (if any) hooked. Lateral branches ascending or erect, up to 200 mm long, internodes usually < leaves. Upper stem-leaves 12-20 mm long, oblong with rounded tips, hairs not hooked. Cyme compound, usually ebracteate, 8-12-flowered, distinctly capitate in flower and fruit, carried 10-20 mm above leaves in fruit; internodes and pedicels very short. Calyx up to 5 mm long in flowers, cut to half calyx length, subacute; short appressed hairs covering whole surface closely, associated with conspicous, sparser long spreading coarse, hooked hairs. Corolla lemon-yellow to white, c. 4 mm diameter, tube c.5 mm long, cylindric, lobes c. 1·5 × 1·3 mm, rounded; filaments very short, anthers c.1·2 mm long, with tips projecting above well-developed scales; style usually much > calyx in fruit, stigma capitate. Nutlet oblong, c.2.0-3.0 × 1.0-1.6 mm, ovate to ovate-elliptic.
Similar taxa
Myosotis traversii is distinguished from all other inidgenous myosoti by the erect ebracteate cymose inflorescences, and calyx-hairs which are of two distinct types, (i) short, fine, straight and closely appressed, and (ii) long, coarse, spreading and usually hooked. These attributes and its preference for scree and rock habitats make it a well marked species. Of the three recognised varieties, M. traversii var. traversii is the more northerly and differs from both var. cantabrica and var. cinerascens by the absence of hooked (uncinate) hairs on the under-surface of the stem-leaves. However, the status of Myosotis traversii var. cantabrica and var. cinerascens needs further exploration - as var. cinerascens (currently regarded as extinct) seems very close to var. cantabrica.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: Mountains of Nelson, Marlborough, and North Canterbury (mostly east of the main divide).
Habitat
Montane to alpine. In active to semi-stable scree and shingly places
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 | Not Evaluated
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Boraginaceae
Synonyms
Myosotis cockayniana Petrie; Myosotis traversii var. cockayniana (Petrie) Cheeseman
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December - March
Fruiting
February - April
Propagation technique
Unknown. Likely to be difficult. Probably best grown in an alpine house or rock garden.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commerciallyavailable
Etymology
myosotis: Mouse-eared
traversii: Named after William Thomas Locke Travers (1819-1903) who was an Irish lawyer, magistrate, politician, explorer, naturalist, photographer. He lived in New Zealand from 1849 and was a fellow of the Linnean Society.
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.
MYOTVT
Chromosome number
2n = 48
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
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.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (1 February 2008). 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 traversii var. traversii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-traversii-var-traversii/ (Date website was queried)