The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Myosotis glabrescens

Etymology

Myosotis: mouse-eared
glabrescens: becoming hairless

Common Name(s)

None known

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Data Deficient

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 - Data Deficient
2004 - Data Deficient

Authority

Myosotis glabrescens L.B.Moore

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. Known only from one site and a few gatherings made in the Hector Range, east of Lake Wakatipu. Strangely, this plant may be better known in Scotland where it is grown by alpine enthusiasts (see: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3383.30)

Habitat

Probably strictly alpine. Plants occur on mid-stream or marginal gravel deposits in the headbasin of alpine streams. May occur in other habitats.

Features

Compact, cushion-forming herb to 50 cm diam. Branches horizontal, up to 5 cm, numerous, rooting freely at nodes. Stems copiously covered in overlapping erect hairs. Leaves very broadly spathulate, crowded toward ascending branchlet tips, 5 × 2-3 mm, at first copiously covered in short, stiff, appressed hairs, which become wider-spaced as leaf matures. Flowering branches lateral, almost hidden amongst leaves. Flowers almost stalkless (sessile), subtended by a few elliptic to broad elliptic subacute stem-leaves. Calyx 2-4 mm long, with lobes split to half the calyx length, these narrow, acute, with a rather sparse covering of appressed hairs. Corolla white, 5 mm diameter, tube cylindric, 4 mm long, lobes 2 × 1-1.5 mm, oblong. Stamens with short filaments, anthers 1 mm long, mainly held above corolla-scales. Style = anthers, elongating to much > calyx in fruit. Seeds 2 mm.

Similar Taxa

Closest to two other cushion-forming species with solitary flowers, M. pulvinaris and M. uniflora. From M. pulvinaris M. glabrescens differs by the anthers held above the corolla scales and M. pulvinaris forms a domed circular cushion. M. uniflora has yellow flowers and leaves that are distinctly narrower than wide. Field recognition: only alpine Myosotis which forms a streamside ground-contouring mat.

Flowering

No information available

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

No information available

Propagation Technique

Grow in free-draining gravel. Plants irregularly flower at lower altitudes

Threats

Myosotis glabrescens is known only from one recently-discovered locality (with c. 6 plants), the type specimen collected by Donald Petrie in February 1890 and one or two other collections made in the 1980s. It is for this reason that it has been listed as Data Deficient.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 16 Apr 2014