The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Myosotis mooreana

Etymology

Myosotis: mouse-eared

Common Name(s)

forget-me-not

Current Conservation Status

2012 - 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

2009 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, OL, RR, Sp
2009 - DP, OL

Authority

Myosotis mooreana C.A.Lehnebach

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None - first described in 2012

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (North West Nelson (Kahurangi National Park))

Habitat

Myosotis mooreana is so far known only from a single population growing in leaf litter accumulated around boulders in closed red beech (Fuscospora fusca) forest.

Features

Plant perennial, c.20 mm tall. Rosette leaves 5–12, obovate, 32.4–56.0 ×15.8–20.5 mm; apex mucronulate, c.0.4 mm long. Leaf lamina base attenuate to petiole. Leaf indumentum hispid, hairs on upper surface sparsely distributed, antrorse, arcuate or erect. Hairs on the lower surface sparsely distributed, retrorse, arcuate or erect. Hairs arcuate or straight on margin. Petiole 26 – 40 × 1.4–1.8 mm, hispid, hairs erect, arcuate, antrorse or retrorse on margins. Flowering stem ascending, dark green to brown, 210.0 × 1.5–1.9 mm. Hairs, appressed, arcuate or erect, 0.8–2.1 mm long. Stem leaves elliptic-obovate, mucronulate, 15.3–35.4 × 6.4–14 mm, either shortly petiolate or sessile towards distal end of the inflorescence. Indumentum as for rosette leaves. Cyme with 15–31 flowers. Pedicel at fruiting, 2.5–2.9 mm. Calyx lobes lanceolate, 2.3–2.8 mm long, hairs inside calyx in upper half or along entire lobe. Fruiting calyx 2.7–2.8 mm long, hairs densely distributed, overlapping and hooked or straight. Corolla white with yellow scales, 3.8–4.8 mm across, lobes ovate, 2.0 × 1.6–1.8 mm; not overlapping, apex rounded or irregularly notched. Corolla tube 3 mm long. Stamens included within the corolla tube, with only the anther’s appendage above the scales. Filament attached below the scales. Anther 0.8 × 0.2 mm. Style 3 mm long, stigma clavate. Nutlet smooth, dark brown, ovoid to ellipsoid, 1.4 –1.5 × 0.7–0.9 mm, ventral surface keel.

Similar Taxa

Myosotis mooreana is most similar to M. forsteri and M. brockiei. It differs from M. forsteri by its obovate rosette leaves; larger leaves at base of the cyme and smaller calyx at fruiting. It differs from M. brockiei by its smaller flowers (3.8–4.8 mm vs 9.0–10 mm); by its stamens which are included within the corolla tube; by its fruiting calyx furnished with a shorter pedicel (2.5–2.9 mm vs 3.6–4.3 mm); and by the hispid indumentum on leaves and petiole.

Flowering

January

Fruiting

January

Propagation Technique

Unknown

Threats

Myosotis mooreana is currently known from only six individuals growing in a single site within the Kahurangi National Park. For this reason it has been listed as Nationally Critical by Lehnebach (2012).

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Aug 2016