Myosotidium
| Myosotidium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Myosotidium hortensia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | (unplaced) |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Myosotidium Hook. |
| Species: | M. hortensia |
| Binomial name | |
| Myosotidium hortensia (Decne.) Baill. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Myosotis hortensia Decne.[1] | |
Myosotidium is a genus of plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae. This genus is represented by the single species Myosotidium hortensia, the giant forget-me-not[2] or Chatham Islands forget-me-not, which is endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
Though it occurs only on the Chatham Islands, a 2011 DNA study found that its closest relatives are in the Mediterranean, suggesting extremely long distance dispersal of the winged seeds. The closest relative found was Mediterranean Omphalodes nitida. The two genera diverged between 3.64 and 22.45 Ma. The two genetic sequences differ by 5.3% [3]
Myosotidium hortensia is a fleshy herb with large orbicular somewhat fleshy leaves and bearing numerous blue flowers in the late spring. It is much planted as a garden ornamental flower in New Zealand and elsewhere. In addition to the blue-flowered species, 'Alba', a white flowered cultivar is also popular in cultivation.
References
- ↑ "Taxon: Myosotis hortensia Decne.". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Area. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ↑ "Myosotidium hortensia". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ↑ Heenan, P. B., et al. (2010). Late-Cenozoic origin and diversification of Chatham Islands endemic plant species revealed by analyses of DNA sequence data. New Zealand Journal of Botany 48: 83–136.