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Myosotis colensoi

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Myosotis colensoi

Nationally Critical (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Myosotis
Species:
M. colensoi
Binomial name
Myosotis colensoi

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.

Taxonomy and etymology

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Myosotis colensoi (Kirk) J.F.Macbr. is in the plant family Boraginaceae and was originally described (as Exarrhena colensoi Kirk) in 1896 by Thomas Kirk.[3][2] M colensoi is morphologically most similar to M. cheesemanii, from which it can be distinguished by its rosette laminas which are longer (> 6.8 mm) with a larger length : width ratio (2.2–3.1 : 1), shorter petioles, and larger rosettes.[4]

The type specimen of Myosotis colensoi is lodged at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington (herbarium WELT).[5][4]

The specific epithet, colensoi, is named after New Zealand missionary and botanist, William Colenso 1811–1899).[2]

Phylogeny

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Myosotis colensoi 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).[6] Within the southern hemisphere lineage, species relationships were not well resolved.[6]

Description

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Myosotis colensoi plants are single rosettes that grow close together forming loose clumps. The rosette leaves have petioles 2–16 mm long. The rosette leaf blades are 4–15 mm long by 0.6–2 mm wide (length: width ratio 2.2–3.8: 1), oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or rarely narrowly elliptic to elliptic, widest at or above the middle, with an obtuse and often retuse apex. The upper surface of the leaf is densely covered in straight, mostly appressed, antrorse (forward-facing) hairs that are parallel to the mid vein, while on the lower surface the hairs are the same but often only a few isolated hairs are present. Each rosette has 3–13 prostrate, unbranched, bracteate inflorescences that are (14)32–76 mm long. The cauline leaves on the lower part of the inflorescence are similar to but smaller than the rosette leaves, but usually sparsely to densely hairy on the lower surface, and decrease in size and become sessile toward the tip. There can be up to 12 flowers in each inflorescence, each one borne on a short pedicel and with a bract. The calyx is 3–7 mm long at flowering and 4–8 mm long at fruiting, lobed to about a third of its length, and densely covered in short, straight, appressed to patent, antrorse hairs. The corolla is white up to 9 mm in diameter, with a cylindrical tube, petals that are obovate to very broadly broadly obovate and flat, and small yellow scales alternating with the petals. The anthers are partially exserted, with the tips only surpassing the scales. The four smooth, shiny, medium brown nutlets are 1.3–1.8 mm long by 0.8–1.1 mm wide and ovoid (rarely narrowly ovoid) in shape.[4]

Myosotis colensoi has M. australis type pollen.[7][8]

The chromosome number of M. colensoi is 2n = 46 (CHR100916).[9] The breeding system of Myosotis colensoi is outcrossing, as the flowers are 'always herkogamous', with a high pollen : ovule ratio, and no seed production in enclosed flowers.[10] Nevertheless, the species is also fully self-compatible.[11]

Myosotis colensoi flowers and fruits from (September–)November–January(–April).[4]

  • Floral detail
    Floral detail
  • Rosette leaves
    Rosette leaves
  • Large flowering plant
    Large flowering plant
  • Pollen grain
    Pollen grain

Distribution and habitat

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Myosotis colensoi is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand in Marlborough (Chalk Range) and Canterbury (Castle Hill area), from 610–1050 m ASL. M. colensoi is found on dry, exposed limestone.[4][12] In Canterbury, it may be found with the Castle Hill buttercup, Ranunculus paucifolius.[4][12] It is considered to be an obligate calcicole.[13]

Conservation status

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The species is listed as Threatened - Nationally Critical in the most recent assessment (2017-2018) of the New Zealand Threatened Classification for plants. It also has the qualifiers "RR" (Sparse) and "Sp" (Sparse).[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lange, Peter J. de; Rolfe, Jeremy R.; Barkla, John W.; Courtney, Shannel P.; Champion, Paul D.; Perrie, Leon R.; Beadel, Sarah M.; Ford, Kerry A.; Breitwieser, Ilse; Schönberger, Ines; Hindmarsh-Walls, Rowan (May 2018). "Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017" (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 22: 1–86. OCLC 1041649797.
  2. ^ a b c Kirk, Thomas (1894). "Notes on certain veronicas, and descriptions of new species". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 28: 515–531.
  3. ^ "Myosotis colensoi". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  5. ^ "Myosotis colensoi". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b 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. Bibcode:2015PSyEv.301.1455M. doi:10.1007/s00606-014-1166-x. ISSN 2199-6881. S2CID 254048318.
  7. ^ 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. Bibcode:2016NZJB...54..475M. doi:10.1080/0028825X.2016.1229343. ISSN 0028-825X. S2CID 89118799.
  8. ^ "Myosotis colensoi". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  9. ^ Beuzenberg, E. J.; Hair, J. B. (1 March 1983). "Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora—25 Miscellaneous species". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 21 (1): 13–20. doi:10.1080/0028825X.1983.10428520 (inactive 1 November 2024). ISSN 0028-825X.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  10. ^ Robertson, A. W.; Lloyd, D. G. (1991). "Herkogamy, dichogamy and self-pollination in six species of Myosotis (Boraginaceae)". Evolutionary Trends in Plants. ISSN 1011-3258.
  11. ^ Robertson, Alistair (1989). Evolution and pollination of New Zealand Myosotis (Boraginaceae) (PhD thesis). University of Canterbury. doi:10.26021/8460. hdl:10092/5849.
  12. ^ a b "Calcareous screes". Manaaki Whenua. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  13. ^ Rogers, GM; Courtney, SP; Heenan, PB (2018). "The calcicolous vascular flora of New Zealand" (PDF). Science for Conservation. 331. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation, Te Papa Atawhai, New Zealand Government.
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