Species

Myosotis australis

Etymology

Myosotis: mouse-eared
australis: southern

Common Name(s)

none known

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 australis R.Br.

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

MYOAUS

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.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Myosotis australis var. conspicua Cheeseman, Myosotis saxatilis Petrie

Distribution

?Indigenous. North and South Islands.

Habitat

Montane to alpine. Mostly grassland, cliffs and other open rocky and stony places

Features

Gracile, tufted, perennial herb. Rosette usually single, leaves spathulate or lamina elliptic, 20-60 × 4-12 mm, tip rounded and ± mucronate, petiole , more less equal to lamina-length, narrow but ill-defined; hairs on upper surface spreading, uniform, fine, crowded, often hooked, on undersurface sparser, shorter, retrorse. Lateral branches ascending or erect (not rooting from nodes), few to many, up to 300 mm long, internodes usually equal to or greater than leaves. Upper stem-leaves sessile, spathulate to oblong, mostly 10-15 mm long, tip subacute; hairs on upper surface silky, ± appressed, overlapping, on undersurface sparser, shorter, irregularly arranged. Cymes mostly ebracteate, except sometimes towards base, mostly simple and terminal, either on primary laterals or on secondary laterals arising from axils of stem-leaves; internodes between fruits greater than calyx; pedicels very short. Calyx c. 4 mm long, lobes cut for greater than half calyx length, narrow, subacute; hairs long and straight towards tips, shorter and hooked towards base, with very short sparse hairs overall. Corolla white or yellow, tube equal to or greater in length of calyx, widest at top, lobes rounded, concave; filaments very short, fixed below scales, anther-tips barely reaching scales; style more or less equal to tube length in flower. Nutlet 1.4-2.1 × 0.8-1.0 mm, ovate to ovate-elliptic, black.

Similar Taxa

Even with the change in rank for Myosotis australis var. lytteltonensis (see de Lange et al. 2010), the remaining members of the Myosotis australis complex are in serious need ot revision. Collectively these entities, unified here as Myosotis australis sensu lato can be recognised by the calyx which is 3-6 mm long and deeply lobed, and clad with numerous hooked (uncinate) hairs, and by the anther-tips not projecting above the scales. That said distinct entities can be recognised of which the most common entity is the yellow-flowered plant illustrated on this fact sheet and often known as Myosotis "australis yellow", other entities included within M. australis have white flowers, and include M. saxatilis Petrie and M. "australis small white". There is good evidence that all of these warrant elevation to species rank. However, to do so would at this stage be premature until a full comparison with the type of M. australis (which is Australian) is undertaken along with the critical examination of the range of variation in Australian M. australis. Further, there are other small, white-flowered plants present in Central Otago that might be palced within M. australis, and these too require careful study.

Flowering

October - March

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

December - May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and in ideal conditions will freely self sow in gardens, However, along with most other indigenous Myosotis, members of the M. australis complex are prone to mildew and rust infections. They also dislike humid climates.

Threats

Not Threatened

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

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.

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.

This page last updated on 10 Aug 2014