# Myosotis brevis

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Myosotis_brevis
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Myosotis_brevis.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myosotis_brevis
> Source revision: 1355382006
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Species of flowering plant

Myosotis brevis Myosotis brevis plant, flowering Conservation status Nationally Vulnerable (NZ TCS)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Asterids Order: Boraginales Family: Boraginaceae Genus: Myosotis Species: M. brevis Binomial name Myosotis brevis de Lange & Barkla[2] Synonyms Myosotis pygmaea var. minutiflora G.Simpson & J.S.Thomson

***Myosotis brevis*** is a species of [flowering plant](/source/Flowering_plant) in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) Boraginaceae, [endemic](/source/Endemic_species) to [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand). [George Simpson](/source/George_Simpson_(botanist)) and J.S. Thomson described *M. pygmaea* var. *minutiflora* in 1942, and [Peter de Lange](/source/Peter_James_de_Lange) and John Barkla recognized it at species rank in 2010, as *M. brevis*. Plants of this species of [forget-me-not](/source/Forget-me-nots) are small and [annual](/source/Annual_plant), with a prostrate habit, bracteate inflorescences, tiny white corollas, and brown or green leaves.

## Taxonomy and etymology

*Myosotis brevis* [de Lange](/source/Peter_de_Lange_(botanist)) & Barkla is in the plant family [Boraginaceae](/source/Boraginaceae), was originally described as *M. pygmaea* var. *minutiflora* in 1942 by [George Simpson](/source/George_Simpson_(botanist)) and J.S. Thomson, and was later recognized at species rank by [Peter de Lange](/source/Peter_James_de_Lange) and John Barkla, as *M. brevis,* in 2010.[3][4][2][5] The species required a new name since *[M. minutiflora](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Myosotis_minutiflora&action=edit&redlink=1)* [Boiss.](/source/Boiss.) & [Reut.](/source/Reut.), an unrelated northern hemisphere species, was already published.[6][7] The most recent taxonomic revision continues to recognize *M. brevis* at the species level, and it ss morphologically most similar to the other bracteate-prostrate species endemic to New Zealand in the pygmy subgroup, i.e. *[Myosotis glauca](/source/Myosotis_glauca)* and *[M. antarctica](/source/Myosotis_antarctica).*[8] *Myosotis brevis* is the smallest New Zealand forget-me-not and differs from all other *Myosotis* in its small corolla (<2.0 mm diameter), short calyx (<1.7 mm at flowering), and small nutlets [0.9–1.2(–1.4) mm long by 0.5–0.8 mm wide].[8][9]

The holotype specimen of *Myosotis pygmaea* var. *minutiflora* is lodged at the Allan Herbarium (CHR) of [Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research](/source/Manaaki_Whenua_-_Landcare_Research) (CHR 75725).[10] The specific epithet, *brevis*, is derived from Latin and means 'short', whereas *minutiflora* is also derived from Latin and means 'small flowered'.

## Description

*Myosotis brevis* plants are single rosettes. The rosette leaves have [petioles](/source/Petiole_(botany)) 1–7 mm long. The rosette leaf blades are 1–9 mm long by 1–4 mm wide (length: width ratio 1.2–2.5: 1), narrowly oblanceolate to broadly obovate, widest at or above the middle, green or brown, with an [obtuse](/source/Glossary_of_leaf_morphology#obtuse) (occasionally [acute](/source/Acute_leaf)) apex. The upper surface of the leaf is densely covered in flexuous, appressed to erect, antrorse (forward-facing) hairs, whereas the lower surface of the leaf is similar but with fewer hairs (ranging from glabrous to with sparsely distributed hairs). Each rosette has multiple prostrate, bracteate [inflorescences](/source/Inflorescence) that are up to 5 cm long. The cauline leaves are similar in size and shape to the rosette leaves and become sessile toward the tip. Each inflorescence has up to 17 flowers, each borne on a very short [pedicel](/source/Pedicel_(botany)), with a bract.

The calyx is 1–2 mm long at flowering and 2–4 mm long at fruiting, lobed to one-third or two-thirds its length, and hairs that are more densely distributed on the calyx ribs, and sometimes of two different lengths and types. The corolla is white or cream, or sometimes pale blue or blue-striped, up to 2 mm in diameter, with a cylindrical tube, and small yellow scales alternating with the petals. The anthers are very short (usually < 0.3 mm long) and fully included. The four smooth, shiny nutlets are usually 0.9–1.2 mm long by 0.5–0.8 mm wide and are ovoid in shape.[8] *M. brevis* has *M. discolor* type pollen, which is distinctive amongst all bracteate-prostrate species in New Zealand.[11][12] It flowers during the months September–April and fruits during the months October–April. Peak flowering and fruiting occurs October–December.[8]

		- Flowering rosette

		- Fruiting and flowering plant

		- Growth habit

		- Pollen grain

## Phylogeny

*Myosotis brevis* was shown to be a part of the [monophyletic](/source/Monophyletic) southern hemisphere lineage of *Myosotis* in [phylogenetic](/source/Phylogenetics) analyses of standard DNA sequencing markers ([nuclear ribosomal DNA](/source/Ribosomal_DNA) and [chloroplast DNA](/source/Chloroplast_DNA) regions).[13] Within the southern hemisphere lineage, species relationships were not well resolved.[14][13] The two sequenced individuals of *M. brevis* had very similar sequences and grouped near one another in all analyses.[13] In a study analyzing microsatellite markers developed specifically for the pygmy subgroup of southern hemisphere *Myosotis*, all (or most) populations of *M. brevis* cluster together in the different analyses.[15][8][16]

## Distribution and habitat

*Myosotis brevis* is a [forget-me-not](/source/Forget-me-not) endemic to coastal areas in the North Island (Taranaki, Southern North Island) and mountainous areas of Canterbury and Otago of the South Island of New Zealand, from 0–1900 m ASL. *M. brevis* is found in herb fields, turfs and gravels of coastal cliffs, platforms and beaches on the North Island; at the edges of seasonally inundated tarn edges in Canterbury; and in exposed, dry to seasonally moist alpine fellfield, pasture or turf in Otago.[8]

## Conservation status

The species is listed as "Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable" on the most recent assessment (2017-2018) under the [New Zealand Threatened Classification](/source/New_Zealand_Threat_Classification_System) system for plants, with the qualifiers "EF" (Extreme Fluctuations) and "Sp" (Sparse).[1] A recent taxonomic revision recommended maintaining this conservation status and qualifiers.[8]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NZTCS_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NZTCS_1-1) 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"](https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs22entire.pdf) (PDF). *New Zealand Threat Classification Series*. **22**: 45. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [1041649797](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1041649797).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Threatened_plants_of_New_Zealand_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Threatened_plants_of_New_Zealand_2-1) De Lange, Peter J., ed. (2010). [*Threatened plants of New Zealand*](https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4837096). Christchurch, N.Z: Canterbury University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-877257-56-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-877257-56-8). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [456176236](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/456176236).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:2_3-0)** Moore, L.B. ["Boraginaceae. In 'Flora of New Zealand'. (Ed. HH Allan) Vol. 1, pp. 806–833"](https://floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz/pages/Taxon.aspx?id=_2dd90ab4-331f-4d49-bb31-b0a843e65931&fileName=Flora%201.xml). *(Government Printer: Wellington, New Zealand) floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz*. Retrieved 27 April 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Simpson, George; Thomson, J.S. (1942). ["Notes on Some New Zealand Plants and Descriptions of New Species (No. 2)"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TPRSNZ1942-72.2.7.3). *Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand*. **72**: 21–40. Retrieved 6 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Myosotis brevis"](https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-brevis/). *New Zealand Plant Conservation Network*. Retrieved 17 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Myosotis minutiflora Boiss. & Reut"](https://www.gbif.org/species/5660949). *www.gbif.org*. Retrieved 17 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Boisiier, E; Reuter, G. F. (1852). ["Pugillus plantarum novarum Africae borealis Hispaniaeque australis"](https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/records/item/9477-redirection). *bibdigital.rjb.csic.es* (in Spanish). p. 80. Retrieved 17 July 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_8-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_8-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:1_8-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:1_8-6) Prebble, Jessica M.; Symonds, V. Vaughan; Tate, Jennifer A.; Meudt, Heidi M. (5 May 2022). ["Taxonomic revision of the southern hemisphere pygmy forget-me-not group (Myosotis; Boraginaceae) based on morphological, population genetic and climate-edaphic niche modelling data"](https://www.publish.csiro.au/sb/SB21031). *Australian Systematic Botany*. **35** (1): 63–94. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1071/SB21031](https://doi.org/10.1071%2FSB21031). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1446-5701](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1446-5701). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [248603363](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:248603363).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Prebble, Jessica M.; Meudt, Heidi M.; Tate, Jennifer A.; Symonds, V. Vaughan (18 March 2018). ["Bolstering Species Delimitation in Difficult Species Complexes by Analyzing Herbarium and Common Garden Morphological Data: A Case Study Using the New Zealand Native Myosotis pygmaea Species Group (Boraginaceae)"](https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aspt/sb/2018/00000043/00000001/art00022). *Systematic Botany*. **43** (1): 266–289. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1600/036364418X697058](https://doi.org/10.1600%2F036364418X697058). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [90243293](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:90243293).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Myosotis pygmaea var. minutiflora holotype"](https://scd.landcareresearch.co.nz/Specimen/CHR%2075725?collection=CHR&searchCollection=CHR&query=75725&currentDisplayTab=list&pageNumber=0&sortField=relevance). *scd.landcareresearch.co.nz*. Retrieved 17 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Myosotis brevis pollen"](https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/10489). *collections.tepapa.govt.nz*. Retrieved 17 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** 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](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/0028825X.2016.1229343](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F0028825X.2016.1229343). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0028-825X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0028-825X). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [89118799](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:89118799).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_13-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_13-2) 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](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s00606-014-1166-x](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00606-014-1166-x). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2199-6881](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2199-6881). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [14686750](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:14686750).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:3_14-0)** Winkworth, Richard C; Grau, Jürke; Robertson, Alastair W; Lockhart, Peter J (1 August 2002). ["The origins and evolution of the genus Myosotis L. (Boraginaceae)"](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790302002105). *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution*. **24** (2): 180–193. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00210-5](https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS1055-7903%2802%2900210-5). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1055-7903](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1055-7903). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [12144755](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12144755).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Prebble, Jessica M.; Meudt, Heidi M.; Tate, Jennifer A.; Symonds, V. Vaughan (2019). ["Comparing and co‐analysing microsatellite and morphological data for species delimitation in the New Zealand native Myosotis pygmaea species group (Boraginaceae)"](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tax.12096). *Taxon*. **68** (4): 731–750. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/tax.12096](https://doi.org/10.1002%2Ftax.12096). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0040-0262](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0040-0262). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [208604617](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:208604617).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Prebble, Jessica M.; Tate, Jennifer A.; Meudt, Heidi M.; Symonds, V. Vaughan (9 June 2015). ["Microsatellite markers for the New Zealand endemic Myosotis pygmaea species group (Boraginaceae) amplify across species1"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4467761). *Applications in Plant Sciences*. **3** (6) apps.1500027. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3732/apps.1500027](https://doi.org/10.3732%2Fapps.1500027). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2168-0450](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2168-0450). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [4467761](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4467761). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [26082880](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26082880).

## External links

- [*Myosotis brevis* occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium](https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?taxa=myosotis+brevis#tab_mapView)

- Media related to [Myosotis brevis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Myosotis_brevis) at Wikimedia Commons

Taxon identifiers Myosotis brevis Wikidata: Q17416586 Wikispecies: Myosotis brevis CoL: 455TV GBIF: 7942217 iNaturalist: 410651 IPNI: 77105109-1 NCBI: 1302902 NZOR: 6e21f7fc-2505-4c88-a6e1-3fa92e85b060 NZPCN: 114 Open Tree of Life: 5512856 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77105109-1 WFO: wfo-0000746769

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Myosotis brevis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myosotis_brevis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myosotis_brevis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.