Myosotis spatulata

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Myosotis spatulata
Myosotis spatulata 53335876.jpg
Myosotis spatulata plant with small white flower
Status NZTCS NU.svg
Naturally Uncommon (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Myosotis
Species:
M. spatulata
Binomial name
Myosotis spatulata

Myosotis spatulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Georg Forster described the species in 1786. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial rosettes with bracteate inflorescences and white corollas.

Contents

Taxonomy and etymology

Myosotis spatulata is in the plant family Boraginaceae and was originally described in 1786 by Georg Forster. [2] [3] [4] Myosotis spatulata is morphologically most similar to the other creeping, bracteate-prostrate species including M. matthewsii, M. chaffeyorum , M. tenericaulis and M. albiflora. [5] It can be distinguished from all four of these species by its mostly patent rosette leaf hairs (which are appressed in the other four species), and a filament length that is intermediate ((0.3–)0.5–1.5 mm) between M. matthewsii (which has very long filaments: 2.6–3.1 mm) and the other three species (which have very short filaments from 0.1–0.5 mm long: M. tenericaulis, M. chaffeyorum and M. albiflora). [5] Although two varieties of M. spatulata were described, there are no morphological characters which separate them, and the varieties were not recognized in the most recent taxonomic revision. [5]

The lectotype specimen of Myosotis spatulata was selected by Lucy Moore and is lodged at the Paris herbarium (National Museum of Natural History, France; herbarium P). [3] [5] [6] There are several other specimens of original material, which were collected at Queen Charlotte Sound on Captain Cook’s second voyage (1772–1775). [7] [8]

The specific epithet, spatulata, refers to the leaf shape and is derived from the Greek words meaning blade (spathe) or spoon-shaped (spatulata). [9] The spelling of the epithet by Forster is without an 'h' in the original description, i.e.: ‘M. spatulata, seiminibus laevibus, foliis spatulatis hispidis, pedunculis axillaribus, solitariis unifloris. F. Nova Zeelandia.’ [4] Many authors since then have spelled the epithet spathulata instead of spatulata, including Robert Brown in his Prodromus . [5] [7] [10]

Phylogeny

Myosotis spatulata was shown to be a part of the monophyletic southern hemisphere lineage of Myosotis in phylogenetic analyses of standard DNA sequencing markers (nuclear ribosomal DNA and chloroplast DNA regions). [11] The three individuals of M. spatulata that were sequenced showed that this species is more closely related to the ebracteate-erect species M. forsteri and M. venosa than other bracteate-prostrate species. [11] However the three individuals of M. spatulata did not form a monophyletic group, and species relationships within the southern hemisphere lineage in general were not well resolved. [11] [12]

Description

Myosotis spatulata plants are rosettes. The rosette leaves have petioles 4–30 mm long. The rosette leaf blades are 4–28 mm long by 3–18 mm wide (length: width ratio 0.9–1.7: 1), usually narrowly to broadly obovate, widest at or above the middle, with an obtuse apex. Both surfaces of the leaf are sparsely to densely covered in straight (some flexuous), patent, antrorse (forward-facing) hairs that are oriented at an angle (upper surface) or parallel (lower surface) relative to the mid vein. The leaf margin hairs are the same but usually appressed. Each rosette has 2–12 sprawling, creeping, prostrate, unbranched or once-branched bracteate inflorescences that are 62–310 mm long. The cauline leaves (or bracts) are very similar to the rosette leaves, but become smaller and sessile toward the tip of the inflorescence. The flowers are 1–47 per inflorescence and each is borne on a short pedicel and associated with a bract. The calyx is 1–4 mm long at flowering and 2–4 mm long at fruiting, deeply lobed to half or all of its length, and densely covered in short, straight to flexuous (sometimes hooked near the calyx base), appressed, patent, or erect, antrorse hairs. The corolla is white and 1–5 mm in diameter, with a cylindrical tube, petals that are broadly obovate, rotund or ovate, and flat, and small, faint yellow scales alternating with the petals. The anthers are fully exserted. The four smooth, shiny, usually medium to dark brown nutlets are 1.1–1.8 mm long by 0.7–1.2 mm wide and ovoid (rarely broadly ovoid) in shape. [5]

Myosotis spatulata has M. uniflora type pollen. [13]

The chromosome number of M. spatulata is (2n = 46; AK 253584). [14]

Myosotis spatulata flowers and fruits throughout the year (January–December), with the main flowering period October–March and the main fruiting period November–May. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Myosotis spatulata is endemic to New Zealand, and has a large geographical distribution throughout the North and South Islands from 0–1500 m elevation. On the North Island, it is found in: Northland, Auckland, Volcanic Plateau, Gisborne and Southern North Island; on the South Island it is known from Sounds-Nelson, Canterbury, Otago and Fiordland. It is also present on several offshore islands, including Manawatāwhi / Three Kings; Aotea / Great Barrier; Taranga / Hen and Chickens; Moutohora / Whale; and Chatham Islands . [5]

M. spatulata is found on rocky, base-rich substrates, in dry or wet, shaded, sheltered areas in grassland, shrubland or forests. [5]

Conservation status

The species is listed as At Risk - Naturally Uncommon in the most recent assessment (2017-2018) of the New Zealand Threatened Classification for plants. It also has the qualifiers "DP" (Data Poor), "EF" (Extreme Fluctuations), and "Sp" (Sparse). [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Myosotis chaffeyorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis chaffeyorum is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Carlos Lehnebach described the species in 2012. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a creeping habit, bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis bryonoma</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis bryonoma is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Heidi Meudt, Jessica Prebble and Michael Thorsen described the species. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a creeping habit, bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis retrorsa</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis retrorsa is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Heidi Meudt, Jessica Prebble and Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls described the species. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a prostrate habit, bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis umbrosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis umbrosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Heidi Meudt, Jessica Prebble and Michael Thorsen described the species. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a prostrate habit, bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis albiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis albiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to southern Chile and Argentina. This species was described by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in Joseph Dalton Hooker's 19th century work Flora Antarctica. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial and have white corollas. It is one of two native species of Myosotis in southern South America, the other being M. antarctica.

<i>Myosotis cheesemanii</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis cheesemanii is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Donald Petrie described the species in 1886. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial rosettes with bracteate inflorescences and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis colensoi</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis colensoi is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Thomas Kirk described the species in 1896. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial rosettes with bracteate inflorescences and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis glabrescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis glabrescens is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Lucy Moore described the species in 1961. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are tightly compacted, perennial mats with bracteate inflorescences and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis matthewsii</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis matthewsii is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. Lucy Moore described the species in 1961. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial rosettes with bracteate inflorescences and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis pulvinaris</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis pulvinaris or the Cushion Forget-Me-Not is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described the species in 1867. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a prostrate, compact, cushion habit, short bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis tenericaulis</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis tenericaulis is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Donald Petrie described the species in 1918. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial rosettes with creeping, sprawling bracteate inflorescences and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis lyallii</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis lyallii is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described the species in 1853. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a prostrate habit, bracteate or partially-bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas.

<i>Myosotis lyallii <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> elderi</i> Subspecies of flowering plant endemic to New Zealand

Myosotis lyalliisubsp. elderi is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Lucy Moore described Myosotis elderi in 1961, and Heidi Meudt and Jessie Prebble treated it as a subspecies of M. lyallii in 2018. Plants of this subspecies of forget-me-not are perennial with a prostrate habit, bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas with partially exserted anthers.

<i>Myosotis lyallii <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> lyallii</i> Subspecies of flowering plant endemic to New Zealand

Myosotis lyalliisubsp. lyallii is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described M. lyallii in 1853. Plants of this subspecies of forget-me-not are perennial with a prostrate habit, bracteate or partially-bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas, usually with exserted anthers.

<i>Myosotis glauca</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis glauca is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. George Simpson and J.S. Thomson described M. pygmaea var. glauca in 1942, and Peter de Lange and John Barkla recognized it at species rank in 2010. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a prostrate habit, bracteate inflorescences, white corollas, and often glaucous grey leaves.

<i>Myosotis brevis</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis brevis is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to New Zealand. George Simpson and J.S. Thomson described M. pygmaea var. minutiflora in 1942, and Peter de Lange and John Barkla recognized it at species rank in 2010, as M. brevis. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are small and annual, with a prostrate habit, bracteate inflorescences, tiny white corollas, and brown or green leaves.

<i>Myosotis hikuwai</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis hikuwai is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Heidi Meudt, Jessica Prebble and Geoff Rogers described M. hikuwai in 2022. Plants of this forget-me-not are spring annuals with bracteate and erect inflorescences, and small, white corollas with inserted stamens. The species is considered Threatened and known only from one population near Wānaka.

<i>Myosotis venticola</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis venticola is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Heidi Meudt and Jessica Prebble described M. venticola in 2022. Plants of this forget-me-not are perennial with bracteate and prostrate inflorescences, and small, white corollas with partly exserted stamens.

Myosotis ultramafica is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Heidi Meudt, Jessica Prebble and Brian Rance described M. ultramafica in 2022. Plants of this forget-me-not are perennial with bracteate and prostrate to ascending inflorescences, and small, white corollas with partly exserted stamens. This species is Naturally Uncommon and only found on ultramafic substrates.

<i>Myosotis pansa</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis pansa is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. Lucy Moore described the variety M. petiolata var. pansa in 1961, and it was raised to species level as M. pansa by Heidi Meudt, Jessica Prebble, Rebecca Stanley and Michael Thorsen in 2013. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial rosettes with ebracteate inflorescences and white corollas and exserted anthers.

References

  1. ↑ Forster, Georg (1786). Florulae insularum Australium: Prodromus. Gottingae [Göttingen, Germany]: Joann Christian Dietrich.
  2. ↑ "Myosotis spatulata". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  3. 1 2 Moore, L.B. "Boraginaceae. In 'Flora of New Zealand'. (Ed. HH Allan) Vol. 1, pp. 806–833". (Government Printer: Wellington, New Zealand) floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 Forster, Georg (1786). Florulae insularum Australium: Prodromus. Gottingae [Göttingen, Germany]: Joann Christian Dietrich.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Meudt, Heidi M.; Prebble, Jessica M. (28 February 2018). "Species limits and taxonomic revision of the bracteate-prostrate group of southern hemisphere forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae), including description of three new species endemic to New Zealand". Australian Systematic Botany. 31 (1): 48–105. doi:10.1071/SB17045. ISSN   1446-5701. S2CID   90834744.
  6. ↑ "Myosotis spatulata". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  7. 1 2 Nicolson, Dan H.; Fosberg, F. Raymond (2003). Forsters and the botany of the second Cook Expedition (1772-1775). Koeltz Scientific Books. ISBN   3906166023.
  8. ↑ Lehnebach, Carlos (21 August 2012). "Two new species of forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae) from New Zealand". PhytoKeys (16): 53–64. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.16.3602 . ISSN   1314-2003. PMC   3492931 . PMID   23233811.
  9. ↑ Stearn, W. T. (1985). Botanical Latin: history, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary.
  10. ↑ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum. Londini: typis R. Taylor et socii.
  11. 1 2 3 Meudt, Heidi M.; Prebble, Jessica M.; Lehnebach, Carlos A. (1 May 2015). "Native New Zealand forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae) comprise a Pleistocene species radiation with very low genetic divergence". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 301 (5): 1455–1471. doi:10.1007/s00606-014-1166-x. ISSN   2199-6881. S2CID   14686750.
  12. ↑ Winkworth, Richard C; Grau, Jürke; Robertson, Alastair W; Lockhart, Peter J (1 August 2002). "The origins and evolution of the genus Myosotis L. (Boraginaceae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 24 (2): 180–193. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00210-5. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   12144755.
  13. ↑ Meudt, HM (1 October 2016). "Pollen morphology and its taxonomic utility in the Southern Hemisphere bracteate-prostrate forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae)". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 54 (4): 475–497. doi:10.1080/0028825X.2016.1229343. ISSN   0028-825X. S2CID   89118799.
  14. ↑ de Lange, P. J.; Murray, B. G. (1 March 2002). "Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora—37. Miscellaneous families". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 40 (1): 1–23. doi: 10.1080/0028825X.2002.9512767 . ISSN   0028-825X. S2CID   84366026.
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