The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Myosotis traversii var. cantabrica

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 var. cantabrica L.B.Moore

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

MYOTVC

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island. East of the main divide from mid-Canterbury southwards.

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine. In scree and on rock up to 2100 m

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; leaves hairy, those of adaxial surface notably longer than abaxial, curved and not obscuring epidermis; those of the abaxial surface sparser, shorted and finer, mostly retrorse. Lateral branches ascending or erect, up to 150 mm long, internodes usually < leaves. Upper stem-leaves 12-20 mm long, oblong with rounded tips, hairs crowded on both surfaces, those of the abaxial surface longer, stouter and strongly hooked. Cyme compound, usually ebracteate, 8-flowered, capitate (even in fruit), carried 10-20 mm above leaves in fruit; internodes and pedicels very short. Calyx up to 5 mm long in flower, lobes cut to half calyx length, subacute; short appressed hairs covering whole surface closely, long spreading coarse hairs scattered and conspicuously hooked. Corolla 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 1.4-2.3 × 0.8-1.3 mm, ovate or ovate-elliptic, black.

Similar Taxa

Myosotis traversii var. cantabrica differs from M. traversii var. traversii by the presence of numerous hooked (uncinate hairs) on the leaf undersurface. Myosotis traversii var. cinerascens is distinguished from var. cantabrica by the short, smoothly appressed leaf hairs and elongated (rather than capitate) fruiting inflorescence. However, as noted by de Lange et al. (2010) intergrading forms between var. cantabrica and var. cinerascens occur at Prebble Hill and Cave Creek and it is quite possible that var. cinerascens is at one extreme of the natural variation exhibited by var. cantabrica. Further research into the status of these two varieties is urgently needed.

Flowering

November - February

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

February - March

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 31 Jul 2014