The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Myosotis cheesemanii

Etymology

Myosotis: mouse-eared
cheesemanii: Named after Thomas Frederick Cheeseman (1846 - 15 October 1923) who was a New Zealand botanist and naturalist who, in 1906, produced The Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

Common Name(s)

Forget-me-not

Current Conservation Status

2018 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered
2009 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered
2004 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, Sp
2009 - DP, Sp

Authority

Myosotis cheesemanii Petrie

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

MYOCHE

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, where it is apparently confined to the Pisa and Dunstan Ranges, Central Otago.

Habitat

Alpine. Mainly found in cushionfield. It has been recorded once from a snow bank.

Features

Perennial herb forming diffuse to semi-compact cushions 20-50 x 15-30 mm. Branches rooting freely from old leaf bases. Stems leafy, erect, branching several times. Leaves 12 x 5 mm, elliptic, sub acute, petiole of similar length, broad; leaf hairs stiff, appressed, imbricating on upper surface, on undersurface sparse; hairs on petiole forming a long fringe. Lateral branches immersed in cushion, internodes < leaves. Stem-leaves 7 x 2 mm, linear-oblong, sessile, very hairy, hairs appressed on both surfaces. Inflorescence a simple 2-4-flowered cyme, with each flower subtended by a bract, internodes and pedicels short. Calyx 5 mm long when in flower, lobes < half length of calyx, narrowly acute; hairs uniform and closely appressed. Corolla white, 7-8 mm diam., tube cylindric, 6 mm, corolla lobes 3 x 3 mm, rounded; filaments short, anthers 1.5 mm, projecting above rather large scales. Style 2 x calyx length. Nutlets ovate, 1.4-1.9 x 0.8-1.2 mm.

Similar Taxa

Myosotis cheesemanii is very close to M. colensoi from which it differs by its low cushion-forming rather than open mat-forming habit, uniform rather than variable leaf hair length, short rather than long lateral branches which unlike M. colensoi do not extend beyond the rosettes. Both species are also ecologically distinct; M. colensoi is confined to limestone rock and associated soils, M. cheesemanii a high alpine of cushion field and snow banks.

Flowering

Unknown

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

Unknown

Propagation Technique

Unknown

Threats

This species until recently remained little known to botanists. At least five populations are now known, and while most are small, at least one comprised 100 plants. Careful survey for this species is needed, as well as long-term monitoring of one or more populations to determine the species life cycle, and overall long-term stability.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 16 Apr 2014