{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Speciesbox | image = Myosotis umbrosa - John Barkla - 607764983.jpeg | image_caption = ''Myosotis umbrosa'' in flower in the Rock and Pillar Range, Otago, New Zealand observed in January 2026 | status = NC | status_system = NZTCS | status_ref = <ref name="NZTCS" /> | genus = Myosotis | species = umbrosa | authority = Meudt, Prebble and Thorsen<ref name="csiro">{{Cite journal |last1=Meudt |first1=Heidi M. |last2=Prebble |first2=Jessica M. |date=2018-02-28 |title=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 |url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/sb/SB17045 |journal=Australian Systematic Botany |language=en |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=48–105 |doi=10.1071/SB17045 |s2cid=90834744 |issn=1446-5701|url-access=subscription }}</ref> }}
'''''Myosotis umbrosa''''' is a species of [[flowering plant]] in the [[Family (taxonomy)|family]] Boraginaceae, [[Endemic species|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-nots|forget-me-not]] are [[Perennial plant|perennial]] with a prostrate habit, bracteate inflorescences, and white corollas.
== Taxonomy and etymology == ''Myosotis umbrosa'' Meudt et al. is in the plant family [[Boraginaceae]] and was originally described in 2018 by Heid Meudt, Jessica Prebble and Michael Thorsen.<ref name="csiro">{{Cite journal |last1=Meudt |first1=Heidi M. |last2=Prebble |first2=Jessica M. |date=2018-02-28 |title=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 |url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/sb/SB17045 |journal=Australian Systematic Botany |language=en |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=48–105 |doi=10.1071/SB17045 |s2cid=90834744 |issn=1446-5701|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Myosotis umbrosa |url=https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-umbrosa/ |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=New Zealand Plant Conservation Network |language=en}}</ref> It is morphologically most similar to ''[[Myosotis antarctica|M. antarctica]]'' and ''M. lyallii,'' but can be distinguished from them and other bracteate-prostrate species of ''Myosotis'' by a combination of retrorse (backward facing) hairs on the underside of the leaf, hooked hairs and retrorse hairs on the base of the calyx, and flowers sometimes slightly below cauline leaf axils''.<ref name="csiro" />''
The type specimen of ''Myosotis umbrosa'' is lodged at the herbarium (WELT) of the [[Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa|Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa]].<ref name="csiro" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Myosotis umbrosa |url=https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/1183968 |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=collections.tepapa.govt.nz}}</ref> [[File:SP089905 Myosotis umbrosa Meudt et al. WELT Te Papa 1183968 563996.jpg|thumb|Holotype of ''Myosotis umbrosa'' at Te Papa]]
The specific epithet, ''umbrosa'', is derived from the Latin word ''umbra'' (shadow, shade) and is a nod to its shady habitat near rock [[Tor (rock formation)|tors]].<ref name="csiro" />
== Phylogeny == ''Myosotis umbrosa'' was not included in [[Phylogenetics|phylogenetic]] analyses of standard DNA sequencing markers ([[Ribosomal DNA|nuclear ribosomal DNA]] and [[chloroplast DNA]] regions).<ref name="doi">{{Cite journal |last1=Meudt |first1=Heidi M. |last2=Prebble |first2=Jessica M. |last3=Lehnebach |first3=Carlos A. |date=2015-05-01 |title=Native New Zealand forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae) comprise a Pleistocene species radiation with very low genetic divergence |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-014-1166-x |journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution |language=en |volume=301 |issue=5 |pages=1455–1471 |doi=10.1007/s00606-014-1166-x |s2cid=14686750 |issn=2199-6881|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Winkworth |first1=Richard C |last2=Grau |first2=Jürke |last3=Robertson |first3=Alastair W |last4=Lockhart |first4=Peter J |date=2002-08-01 |title=The origins and evolution of the genus Myosotis L. (Boraginaceae) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790302002105 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |language=en |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=180–193 |doi=10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00210-5 |pmid=12144755 |issn=1055-7903|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
== Description ==
''Myosotis umbrosa'' plants are single rosettes. The rosette leaves are 4–14 per plant, and have [[Petiole (botany)|petioles]] 6–25 mm long. The rosette leaf blades are 6–31 mm long by 4–10 mm wide (length: width ratio 1.7–3.2: 1), widest at or above the middle, usually oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, with an [[Glossary of leaf morphology#obtuse|obtuse]] apex. The upper surface of the leaf is sparsely to densely covered in flexuous, patent to erect, antrorse (forward-facing) hairs that are oriented at an angle relative to the mid vein. The lower surface of the leaf is sparsely to densely covered in flexuous, patent to erect, retrorse (backward-facing) hairs, that are also angled relative to the mid vein. Each rosette has 2–7 prostrate, unbranched, bracteate [[inflorescence]]s that are 11–110 mm long. The cauline leaves are similar in size, shape and hairs to the rosette leaves, but smaller and becoming sessile toward the tips of the inflorescences. There can be up to 13 flowers in each inflorescence, each one borne on a short [[Pedicel (botany)|pedicel]] and with a cauline leaf. The calyx is 2–3 mm long at flowering and 3–5 mm long at fruiting, lobed to about half of its length, and densely covered in long, flexuous, patent to erect antrorse hairs, with some hooked hairs and some retrorse hairs near the calyx base. The corolla is white and up to 5 mm in diameter, with a cylindrical tube, petals that are broadly to very broadly obovate and flat, and small yellow scales alternating with the petals. The anthers are fully included, or rarely partially exserted with the tips just reaching or surpassing the scales. The four smooth, shiny, light to dark brown nutlets are 1.6–1.7 mm long by 1.2–1.3 mm wide and ovoid to broadly ovoid in shape.<ref name="csiro" /><ref name="nzpcn">{{Cite web |title=Myosotis retrorsa |url=https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myosotis-retrorsa/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=New Zealand Plant Conservation Network |language=en}}</ref>
''Myosotis umbrosa'' has ''M. australis'' type pollen with 8, 10 or 12 apertures.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Meudt |first=HM |date=2016-10-01 |title=Pollen morphology and its taxonomic utility in the Southern Hemisphere bracteate-prostrate forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae) |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2016.1229343 |journal=New Zealand Journal of Botany |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=475–497 |doi=10.1080/0028825X.2016.1229343 |s2cid=89118799 |issn=0028-825X|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Myosotis umbrosa |url=https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/10501 |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=collections.tepapa.govt.nz}}</ref>
The chromosome number of ''M. umbrosa'' is unknown.
It flowers and fruits mainly from December to February.<ref name="csiro" /> [[File:SP089763^A Myosotis umbrosa Meudt et al. WELT Te Papa 1180405 389736.jpg|thumb|Pollen]]
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170"> File:Myosotis umbrosa - Heidi Meudt - 607768991.jpeg|Habit File:Myosotis umbrosa - Heidi Meudt - 607769150.jpeg|Flowers File:Myosotis umbrosa - Heidi Meudt - 607843726.jpeg|Close up of upper and lower rosette leaf surface File:Myosotis umbrosa - Heidi Meudt - 607544355.jpeg|Close up of lower rosette leaf surface and tip of flowering branch </gallery>
== Distribution and habitat == ''Myosotis umbrosa'' is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand in Otago, known only from the [[Rock and Pillar Range|Rock and Pillar]] and [[Lammerlaw Range|Lammerlaw]] Ranges, from 915–1370 m elevation.<ref name="csiro" /> It is found in shady, rocky areas often at the base of tors.<ref name="csiro" />
<gallery mode="packed" heights="250"> Myosotis umbrosa - John Barkla - 607868228.jpeg|Flowering plant at the base of a rock tor in the Rock and Pillar Range Myosotis umbrosa - Heidi Meudt - 607843651.jpeg|Flowering individual amongst grasses and moss in its natural habitat </gallery>
== Conservation status == The species is listed as Threatened – Nationally Critical in the most recent assessment (2017–2018) of the [[New Zealand Threat Classification System|New Zealand Threatened Classification]] for plants. It also has the qualifiers "DP" (Data Poor), "RR" (Range Restricted), and "Sp" (Sparse).<ref name="NZTCS">{{Cite journal |last1=Lange |first1=Peter J. de |last2=Rolfe |first2=Jeremy R. |last3=Barkla |first3=John W. |last4=Courtney |first4=Shannel P. |last5=Champion |first5=Paul D. |last6=Perrie |first6=Leon R. |last7=Beadel |first7=Sarah M. |last8=Ford |first8=Kerry A. |last9=Breitwieser |first9=Ilse |last10=Schönberger |first10=Ines |last11=Hindmarsh-Walls |first11=Rowan |date=May 2018 |title=Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs22entire.pdf |journal=New Zealand Threat Classification Series |volume=22 |pages=1–86 |oclc=1041649797}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?taxa=myosotis+umbrosa#tab_mapView ''Myosotis umbrosa'' occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium] {{Taxonbar|from=Q111991046}}
[[Category:Myosotis|umbrosa]] [[Category:Endemic flora of New Zealand]] [[Category:Endangered flora of New Zealand]] [[Category:Plants described in 2018]]