# Myosotis traversii

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Species of flowering plant

Myosotis traversii In flower Conservation status Not Threatened (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. traversii Binomial name Myosotis traversii Hook.f.[2]

***Myosotis traversii*** is a species of [flowering plant](/source/Flowering_plant) in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) Boraginaceae, [endemic](/source/Endemic_species) to the [South Island](/source/South_Island) of [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand). [Joseph Dalton Hooker](/source/Joseph_Dalton_Hooker) described this species in 1864. Plants of this species of [forget-me-not](/source/Forget-me-nots) are [perennial](/source/Perennial_plant) rosettes which form tufts or clumps, with ebracteate, erect inflorescences, and white or yellow corollas with partly exserted stamens.

## Description

*Myosotis traversii* plants are single rosettes often grow together that often cluster together to form clumps or tufts. The rosette leaves have [petioles](/source/Petiole_(botany)) 4–29 mm long. The rosette leaf blades are 5–33 mm long by 3–12 mm wide (length: width ratio 1.5–4.5: 1), usually oblanceolate, narrowly obovate, or obovate, widest at or above the middle, with an [obtuse](/source/Obtuse_(leaf)) apex. The upper surface and the edges of the leaf are densely covered in mostly flexuous and patent, antrorse (forward-facing) hairs that are oriented mostly oblique to the mid vein. The lower surface of the leaf has similar hairs except they are completely retrorse (backward-facing) or they are mostly retrorse with some antrorse hairs near the apex only.

Each rosette has 2–14 erect, usually once-branched ebracteate [inflorescences](/source/Inflorescence) that are up to 230 mm long and are usually bifurcating in an open or condensed forked 'V' shape near the tips. The cauline leaves are up to 18 per inflorescence and are similar to the rosette leaves but smaller with shorter petioles, and decrease in size and become sessile toward the tip. Each inflorescence has up to 75 flowers, each borne on a [pedicel](/source/Pedicel_(botany)) up to 2 mm long at fruiting, and each without a bract. The calyx is 3–7 mm long at flowering and 4–9 mm long at fruiting, lobed to one-third to one-half its length, and densely covered in antrorse hairs (with some retrorse near the base) that are appressed to patent and flexuous, or patent to erect and hooked. The corolla is white or yellow, up to 8 mm in diameter, with a cylindrical tube, petals that are broadly ovate, very broadly ovate., broadly obovate, broadly obovate or very broadly obovate, and small yellow or light yellow scales alternating with the petals. The stamens are 4–9 mm long (measured from the base of the calyx to the anther tips) with filaments 0.1–0.8 mm long. The anthers are partly exserted with the tips only surpassing or equaling the scales. The four smooth, shiny, medium to dark brown nutlets are 1.5–2.7 mm long by 0.8–1.8 mm wide and narrowly ovoid or ovoid in shape.[3]

The chromosome number of *M. traversii* subsp. *traversii* is 2*n* = 44 (CHR 100421).[4][5] It flowers and fruits from November–March, with the main flowering and fruiting period from December–February.[3]

## Taxonomy and etymology

*Myosotis traversii* Hook.f. is in the plant family [Boraginaceae](/source/Boraginaceae).[6] The species was described by [Joseph Dalton Hooker](/source/Joseph_Dalton_Hooker) in 1864 in his *[Handbook of the New Zealand Flora](/source/Handbook_of_the_New_Zealand_Flora)*.[3]

The lectotype was designated by [Lucy Moore](/source/Lucy_Moore_(botanist)), was collected by Leonard Cockayne in the Shingly Range, South Island, and is lodged at the herbarium of the [Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa](/source/Museum_of_New_Zealand_Te_Papa_Tongarewa) (WELT SP002603).[3][7] There is also an isolectotype at the Allan Herbarium of [Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research](/source/Manaaki_Whenua_-_Landcare_Research) (CHR 328277).[3][8]

The specific epithet, *traversii*, honors [William Thomas Locke Travers](/source/William_Thomas_Locke_Travers) (1819–1903), who was a lawyer, explorer and naturalist who immigrated to New Zealand and collected plants there.[3][9]

*Myosotis traversii* is most similar morphologically to *[M. brockiei](/source/Myosotis_brockiei)*, *[M. capitata](/source/Myosotis_capitata)*, *[M. rakiura](/source/Myosotis_rakiura)* and [*M.* *laeta*](/source/Myosotis_laeta) and *[M. saxatilis](/source/Myosotis_saxatilis).[3]* Its hooked trichomes on the calyx and shorter rosette leaves distinguish it from *M. brockiei*, *M. rakiura* and *M. capitata.* Other characters can distinguish it from *M. capitata* (retrorse hairs on the calyx); from *M. brockiei, M. rakiura* and *M. laeta* (partly exserted anthers); and from *M. brockiei* and *M. laeta* (short filaments). A mixture of antrorse and retrorse (forward- and backward-facing) hairs on the lower surface of the rosette leaves distinguishes it from *M. saxatilis* and *M. laeta*.[3]

There are two subspecies recognized in *Myosotis traversii*: [*M. traversii* subsp. *traversii*](/source/Myosotis_traversii_subsp._traversii) and [*M. traversii* subsp. *cantabrica*](/source/Myosotis_traversii_subsp._cantabrica)*.[3]* The subspecies are [allopatric](/source/Allopatry), with *M. traversii* subsp. *cantabrica* found in the central South Island in Canterbury, Westland and Otago (from about 41°S to 42.5°S), and *M. traversii* subsp. *traversii* found in the northern South Island in Western Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Westland (from about 43°S to 45°S).[3] The two subspecies can be distinguished based on the hairs on the underside of the cauline leaves.[3]

### Phylogeny

The sole individual of *Myosotis traversii* sampled for phylogenetic analysis 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).[10] Within the southern hemisphere lineage, species relationships were not well resolved.[10]

## Distribution and habitat

*Myosotis traversii* is a [forget-me-not](/source/Forget-me-not) endemic to the South Island, in Marlborough, Western Nelson, Canterbury, Westland and Otago from 690 to 2280 m ASL, on rocks, boulders, shingle, scree, slips and saddles, often on bare, exposed, dry, sunny sites with few other plants.[3]

## Conservation status

The species is listed as Not Threatened on the most recent assessment (2017-2018) under the [New Zealand Threatened Classification](/source/New_Zealand_Threat_Classification_System) system for plants, with the qualifier "DP" (Data Poor). in the most recent assessment (2017-2018) under the [New Zealand Threatened Classification](/source/New_Zealand_Threat_Classification_System) system for plants.[1][3]

## 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. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Hooker, Joseph Dalton](/source/Joseph_Dalton_Hooker) (1864), *[Handbook of the New Zealand Flora](/source/Handbook_of_the_New_Zealand_Flora)*, [Lovell Augustus Reeve](/source/Lovell_Augustus_Reeve), [Wikidata](/source/WDQ_(identifier)) [Q5891734](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891734)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:12_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:12_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:12_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:12_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:12_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:12_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:12_3-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:12_3-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-:12_3-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-:12_3-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-:12_3-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-:12_3-11) [***m***](#cite_ref-:12_3-12) Meudt, Heidi (2021). ["Taxonomic revision of five species groups of ebracteate-erect Myosotis (Boraginaceae) endemic to New Zealand, based on morphology, and description of new subspecies"](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113613782). *Australian Systematic Botany*. **34** (3): 252–304. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1071/SB20028](https://doi.org/10.1071%2FSB20028). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [234771910](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:234771910).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Myosotis traversii"](https://scd.landcareresearch.co.nz/Specimen/CHR%20100421). *scd.landcareresearch.co.nz*. Retrieved 27 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** E. J. Beuzenberg; J. Hair (1983). ["Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora - 25 miscellaneous species"](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0028825X.1983.10428520). *New Zealand Journal of Botany*. **21**: 13–20. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0028-825X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0028-825X). [Wikidata](/source/WDQ_(identifier)) [Q111822513](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111822513).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:2_6-0)** 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-7)** ["Lectotype of Myosotis traversii"](https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/696526). *collections.tepapa.govt.nz*. Retrieved 26 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Isolectotype of Myosotis traversii"](https://scd.landcareresearch.co.nz/Specimen/CHR%20328277). *scd.landcareresearch.co.nz*. Retrieved 26 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Travers, William Thomas Locke"](https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t105/travers-william-thomas-locke). *teara.govt.nz*. Retrieved 26 September 2022 – via New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_10-1) Meudt, Heidi M.; Prebble, Jessica M.; Lehnebach, Carlos A. (2015). ["Native New Zealand forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae) comprise a Pleistocene species radiation with very low genetic divergence"](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-014-1166-x). *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)) [254048318](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:254048318).

## External links

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

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

Taxon identifiers Myosotis traversii Wikidata: Q17416919 Wikispecies: Myosotis traversii CoL: 4566B GBIF: 5660618 iNaturalist: 404060 IPNI: 119297-1 NCBI: 1302931 NZOR: b06b566a-7977-4245-bc91-3993e72ed0d9 Open Tree of Life: 5512865 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:119297-1 Tropicos: 4000064 WFO: wfo-0000368330 Myosotis traversii subsp. traversii Wikidata: Q113793286 GBIF: 8334460 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77223736-1 Myosotis traversii subsp. cantabrica Wikidata: Q113792941 GBIF: 11176922 iNaturalist: 412855 IPNI: 77218298-1 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77218298-1

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