Species
Myosotis traversii var. cinerascens
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.
cinerascens: becoming ash-coloured
Common Name(s)
None Known
Current Conservation Status
2012 - Extinct
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 - Extinct
2004 - Extinct
Authority
Myosotis traversii var. cinerascens (Petrie) L.B.Moore
Family
Boraginaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites
Synonyms
Myosotis cinerascens Petrie
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Canterbury, Castle Hill Basin only.
Habitat
A limestone endemic restricted to the Castle Hill Basin. Herbarium details provide few clues as to its habitat but it is generally assumed from the few notes available that it was found growing on exposed limestone cliff faces, crevices and possibly in associated talus
Features
Tufted, greyish green, hairy, rosette forming herb. Rosette leaves numerous, spathulate, 20-70 x 40-90 mm, petiole broad, ill-defined, hairs numerous, on upper surface smoothly appressed, overlapping of varying lengths, hairs on undersides short, not retrorse. Lateral branches ascending to erect, up to 150 mm long, internodes < leaves. Upper stem leaves 12-20 mm, oblong, narrowing to subacute tip; hairs of upper surface appressed, short, those of undersides similar but shorter, interspersed with longer hooked hairs. Inflorescence a compact, many-flowered cyme, carried 10-20(-30) mm above leaves when fruiting, occasionally with a leafy bract above the lowest division. Flowers probably white may have been pale lemon.
Similar Taxa
The most recent treatment of New Zealand Myosotis, that offered by Moore (in Allan 1961, Flora of New Zealand, Vol. 1, p. 817-818) places this plant within M. traversii Hook.f., as one of two distinct varieties. From the type variety it, and var. cantabrica L.B.Moore are distinguished by the presence of many hooked hairs on the undersurface of the upper stem leaves. From var. cantabrica it is distinguished by the short, smoothly appressed leaf hairs and elongated fruiting inflorescence.
Flowering
Unknown
Flower Colours
White,Yellow
Fruiting
February
Propagation Technique
Unknown. As a relatively low altitude plant of limestone outcrops it may have been reasonably easy to cultivate from rooted pieces and fresh seed.
Threats
Unknown. This plant is known from only a handful of collections made during the last 1800s and early 1900s. It has not been confirmed from the wild since that time. Possibly, as is usual in New Zealand members of this genus, it occupied a very localised, specific habitat, from which it was eliminated by a combination of over collection and habitat modification through weed invasion.
Endemic Taxon
Yes
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
Where To Buy
Extinct.
Cultural Use/Importance
The plant has not been specifically searched for at its only known habitat. However, the Castle Hill area is popular with botanists and there have been several unsuccessful ad hoc surveys. One problem is that M. traversii var. cantabrica L.B.Moore occurs in the the same general area, and it is not always easy to separate from var. cinerascens. Opinion is currently divided as to whether var. cinerascens is a valid species or variety. Some botanists believe the few herbarium specimens are evidence that this plant is actually an uncommon hybrid between M. traversii var. cantabrica and another one of the three or four other Myosotis species which occur in the general area. On advice from Dr B.P.J. Molloy (pers. comm.), NZPCN retains M. traversii var. cinerascens, although not at the species rank this botanist advocates. New Zealand Myosotis are badly in need of a full taxonomic treatment using modern techniques.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared by NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 February 2008. Description subsequently published in de Lange et al. (2010).
References and further reading
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 17 Apr 2014