The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Myosotis macrantha

Etymology

Myosotis: mouse-eared
macrantha: big flowered

Common Name(s)

Bronze 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 macrantha (Hook.f.) Benth. et Hook.f.

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

MYOMAC

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Exarrhena macrantha Hook.f., Myosotis macrantha var. diversa G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson, Myosotis macrantha var. pulchra Cheeseman, Myosotis macrantha var. westlandica Petrie

Distribution

Endemic: South Island: Nelson to south-western Otago and northern Southland

Habitat

Alpine. Common in damp sites within grassland, on rocky ground, on cliff faces and rock outcrops

Features

Robust, tufted, grey-green, green to dark green, perennial herb. Rosettes few or many, leaves obovate, obovate-lanceolate to lanceolate-spathulate, 30-120 × 6-20 mm, narrowing rather abruptly to subacute tip and gradually to broad petiole almost as long as lamina; hairs tapering and flexuous, appressed or spreading, on undersurface shorter, sparser, often appressed, retrorse except sts at tip. Lateral branches few per rosette, ascending to erect, up to 300 mm long, internodes usually < leaves. Stem-leaves decreasing upwards, lower ones oblong, uppermost c.20 × 6 mm, lanceolate with truncate base and subacute tip; hairs long, fine, usually crowded and appressed on upper surface, on undersurface sparser, shorter and more spreading, often retrorse towards base of lower stem-leaves. Cymes ebracteate, usually simple or once branched, 8-flowered, up to 70 mm long in fruit, internodes < calyx in fruit; pedicels very short, Calyx 6-9 mm long, lobes usually slightly > 1/2 length, obtuse, rather broad; hairs long and spreading near top, medium and hooked about middle, short and spreading or retrorse near base, short appressed hairs throughout. Corolla yellow, orange, brownish orange to almost black, narrow-funnelform, 6-8 mm diameter, tube up to 10 mm. (occasionally 15 mm) to level of scales, more to sinus of lobes; scales small or absent, sometimes variously developed in one flower, lobes rounded, c.3.0 × 2.5 mm, not widely spreading; filaments broad, fixed just below scales (if any), about equal to anthers which are 1·5-2·2 mm long and wholly above scale-level; style at least 2× calyx in fruit, stigma capitate. Nutlet 2.4-3.5 × 1.4-2.0 mm long, ovate-elliptic to elliptic, black-brown to black.

Similar Taxa

Myosotis macrantha is a rather variable but extremely distinctive species easily recognised by its robust growth habit and colourful flowers which can be fixed or grade on a plant from yellow through orange to orange-brown or almost black. It is closely allied to Myosotis arnoldii from which it differs by the grey-green, green to dark green (rather than silvery) colour of the vegetative parts, by the rosette leaves which are broader than the stem leaves (in M. arnoldii rosette and stem leaves are of equal width), and by the presence of retrorse rather than straight hairs on the leaves. The flowers of Myosotis macrantha differ from M. arnoldii only in that their lobes seem to spread more widely (and they show a greater range of colours). Vegetatively Myosotis macrantha is impossible to distinguish from the narrow-range endemic M. explanata though the long narrow strongly coloured flowers of M. macrantha with the anthers exserted wholly beyond the ill-developed scales differ greatly from the shorter, salverform, pure white flowers of M. explanata whose anthers are scarcely exserted and whose filaments are positioned below the large scales.

Flowering

December - March

Flower Colours

Orange,Yellow

Fruiting

Febuary - May

Propagation Technique

Somewhat difficult. Can be grown in a rock garden or alpine house but results vary. Like all indigenous Myosotis this species is sensitive to humidity and prone to fungal attacks from mildews and rusts in muggy weather. In some parts of New Zealand, such as the South Island this species can be easily cultivated.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 17 Apr 2014