Myosotis Macrosiphon

''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses. ''Myosotis alpestris'' is the official flower of Alaska and Dalsland, Sweden. Plants of the genus are commonly confused with Chatham Islands' forget-me-nots, which belong to the related genus ''Myosotidium''.

Description

The genus was originally described by Carl Linnaeus. The type species is ''Myosotis scorpioides''. ''Myosotis'' species are annual or perennial herbaceous flowering plants with pentamerous actinomorphic flowers with 5 sepals and petals. Flowers are typically 1 cm in diameter or less, flatly faced, coloured blue, pink, white or yellow with yellow centres and borne on scorpioid cymes. The foliage is alternate, and their roots are generally diffuse. They typically flower in spring or soon after the melting of snow in alpine ecosystems.

The seeds are contained in small, tulip-shaped pods along the stem to the flower. The pods attach to clothing when brushed against and eventually fall off, leaving the small seed within the pod to germinate elsewhere. Seeds can be collected by placing a sheet of paper under stems and shaking the seed pods onto the paper.

''Myosotis scorpioides'' is colloquially called ''scorpion grass'' because of the spiraling curvature of its inflorescence.

Distribution

The genus is largely restricted to western Eurasia, with approximately 60 confirmed species, and New Zealand with approximately 40 endemic species. A few species occur elsewhere including North America, South America, and Papua New Guinea. Despite this, ''Myosotis'' species are now common throughout temperate latitudes because of the introduction of cultivars and alien species. Many are popular in horticulture. They prefer moist habitats. In locales where they are not native, they frequently escape to wetlands and riverbanks. Only those native to the Northern hemisphere are colloquially denominated "forget-me-nots".

One or two European species, especially ''Myosotis sylvatica'', the "woodland" forget-me-nots, have been introduced into most of the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Genetic analysis indicates that the genus originated in the northern hemisphere, and that species native to New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea and South America form a lineage of closely related species that are likely derived from a single dispersal event to the southern hemisphere.

Ecology

''Myosotis'' are food for the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the setaceous Hebrew character. Many of the species in New Zealand are threatened.

Taxonomy

Of more than 510 recorded species names, only 152 species are presently accepted, listed below. The remainder are either synonyms or hybrids of presently accepted or proposed names.

*''Myosotis abyssinica'' Boiss. & Reut.
*''Myosotis afropalustris'' C.H. Wright
*'' Myosotis albicans''  Riedl
*'' Myosotis albiflora'' Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f.
*''Myosotis albosericea'' Hook.f.
*''Myosotis alpestris'' F.W.Schmidt (alpine forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis amabilis'' Cheeseman
*'' Myosotis ambigens'' ( Bég.) Grau
*''Myosotis angustata'' Cheeseman
*''Myosotis anomala''   Riedl
*''Myosotis antarctica'' Hook.f.
*''Myosotis arnoldii'' L.B.Moore
*''Myosotis arvensis'' (L.)Hill (field forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis asiatica'' (Vestergr. ''ex'' Hultén) Schischk. & Serg. (Asiatic forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis atlantica''  Vestergr.
*'' Myosotis australis'' R.Br.
*'' Myosotis austrosibirica''  O.D.Nikif.
*''Myosotis azorica'' H.C.Watson (Azores forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis baicalensis''  O.D.Nikif.
*'' Myosotis balbisiana'' Jord.
*''Myosotis bothriospermoides'' Kitag.
*''Myosotis brachypoda''  Gren.
*''Myosotis brevis'' de Lange