Species

Myosotis pulvinaris

Etymology

Myosotis: mouse-eared
pulvinaris: From the Latin pulvinar 'a cushion' and -aris 'resembling', meaning resembling a cushio i.e. convex or or rather flattened

Common Name(s)

cushion 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 pulvinaris Hook.f.

Family

Boraginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

MYOPUL

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Myosotis hectorii Hook.f.

Distribution

Endemic. South Island: Central Otago

Habitat

Alpine to high alpine. Found in fell field, cushion bog, on the margins of solifluction lobes and in fine, stable scree. Rarely present in rubble at the bases of schist outcrops and tors.

Features

Many-branched tufted silvery-grey to grey-green perennial forming compact rounded cushions up to 100 mm diameter, adventitious roots from branches. Stems 10-30 mm long, crowded, more or less erect, closely covered with imbricating leaves, the whole twig 5-10 mm diameter. Leaves c. 5-7 × 3-5 mm, the very broad-oblong lamina slightly narrowed to membranous sheathing base, tip very broad-obtuse; hairs long, silky, crowded, more or less appressed. Flowering lateral branches very short, often hidden, with a few narrow oblong leaves surrounding the solitary terminal almost sessile flower. Calyx c.3 mm long, lobes cut to half calyx length, subacute, finely hairy within, long soft hairs forming a complete cover outside. Corolla white, c.6 mm diameter, tube 4-5 mm long, lobes c.2 × 2 mm, broadly rounded, flat, overlapping at sinus; filaments short, anthers up to 1.5 mm long, tips protruding just above rather large scales; style 2-3× calyx, stigma capitate. Nutlets 1.3-1.9 × 0.8-1.1 mm, ovate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic, dark black.

Similar Taxa

The compact, silvery-grey to grey-green, hairy cushion-forming growth habit of Myosotis pulvinaris is unique to this species and it is unlikely to be confused with any other except the yellow-flowered M. uniflora. From sterile specimens of that species, the white-flowered M. pulvinaris can be easily distinguished by its boardly spathulate rather than narrowly elliptic leaves.

Flowering

November - January

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

December - April

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Not Threatened

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially Available

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange. Description based on Allan (1961).

References and further reading

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Goverment Printer, Wellington.

This page last updated on 17 Apr 2014