The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Myosotis traversii var. traversii

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.

Common Name(s)

Travers forget-me-not

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Myosotis traversii Hook.f. var. traversii

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Myosotis cockayniana Petrie; Myosotis traversii var. cockayniana (Petrie) Cheeseman

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

Features

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 it 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.

Flowering

December - March

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

February - April

Propagation Technique

Unknown. Likely to be difficult. Probably best grown in an alpine house or rock garden

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 17 Apr 2014