Mystery Myosotis

[David Lyttle]

Hi Maggi,

Thanks for the new picture; it does not look as hairy as Mike's specimen though it is a bit hard to tell from the photo as it is not sharp when I enlarged it.  It is a nice plant.

[David Lyttle]

 For any one interested in seeing pictures of Myosotis glabrescens in the wild there are pictures on the following link http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/vascular_plants/detail.asp?PlantID=776 There is also a fact sheet which states that only six plants have been found in recent times.

 Edit by Maggi : 10th April 2012 :
Link shown by David seems to be broken... this one works :
http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.asp?ID=762

[Maggi Young]

Hi, David... the first photo was mine.... not great quality... have had a search and Ian has better shots, here are two closeups which may help you more.....

[JohnnyD]

Our last East Lancs group meeting was a miscellany of photo comp results, mini show , 'brains?' trust and auction, and one of the members brought a couple of seed trays full of plants in small pots to auction for group funds.
Being short of little mini garden plants (Clare would dispute this vigorously ) I bid strongly and got the lot.

Among the plants were two labelled Myosotis 'Ayre (sic) Mts' and ssp Ayre Mts.
Googling soon led me to this thread, not only with the correct spelling but also a guide to the species.
The plants each look exactly as the pics above though they are not yet in flower.

Although I can be a bit lazy as to watering sometimes  , I have had success in the past growing Myosotis capitata in mini wet areas using mushroom boxes with a base of gravel which was kept very wet, so I decided to repeat the process for these plants.

The boxes are of the type with holes only in the sides, with the base below the holes filled with gravel or sand.
A pot in the corner allows the water level to be seen and topped up when needed and the plants can be plunged or not as desired. See pics.

I will keep the boxes outside in the main and move them indoors only when flowering (I hope! ).



 

[Martinr]

David, thanks for the link which dispels any lingering doubts on the identity of this plant.

For anyone wanting to propagate it does appear to be self fertile and the seed germinates easily.

John, like your boxes, great idea. The plants at the front labelled traversii (I assume Myosotis traversii) look like another example of a widespread misnaming in the UK and are most likely M. rakiura, a much more desirable plant than traversii.

[Tony Lee]

Hi Martin,I think this Myosotis traversii must have come from one of the seedex this year,I was very pleased with my pot of seedling early on and potted several on.Today I have put the lot in the bin,Rubish,
No potential farrer there.I hope I did not pass one on to John it would not be very good for his gardens.

[Martinr]

Hi Tony, sounds like you may actually have got M. traversii. A straggly thing would be the kind description

[Martinr]

My apologies to all. I'm getting confused. It's been a long day. The weedy one is M. fosteri which often gets called M. rakiura in the UK non specialist nursery trade, but a lot of stuff labelled M. traversii floating about the UK based seed exchanges is M. rakiura. I don't think I've actually seen a 'captive' M. traversii. Anyone in NZ got a picture of M. traversii to help clear up this guddle? Confused?

[JohnnyD]

Hi Martin,
I have two pots of 'traversii' the one in the pic is from seedex, but the other came direct from NZ collector.

They may have the same provenance but who would know?.
J.

p.s. The boxes work better if you check first that they don't have a leak! Grrrrrr!

[Martinr]

This may help when your plants grow up a bit John. This specimen of M. rakiura was shown about 6-7 years ago at East Anglia by Martin & Anna Sheader. Close ups of smaller flowering specimens can be obtained if you'd like them....but not till the rain stops!

[JohnnyD]

Thanks Martin.
It will be some time before I can compare them but here's hoping........
J.

p.s. Rain here too - so off to Malaga for a week with the Smethys.
No rain forecast there.

[Martinr]

I thought you hadn't retired

[JohnnyD]

It's only for eight days Martin - have a heart!
J.

[Martinr]

Well OK as long as you don't want a summer holiday as well

[t00lie]

David, thanks for the link which dispels any lingering doubts on the identity of this plant.

For anyone wanting to propagate it does appear to be self fertile and the seed germinates easily.

Certainly germinates easily as Martin has commented ----here's a close up of a plant from UK seed sown end of June 09.
Another 3 seedlings are just through and i plan to grow them all on for just a little while ,(before passing some on to David Lyttle), to compare with a pic i took on the Eyres last autumn as i am pretty certain i have located Myosotis glabrescens in the wild.

More to follow.
Cheers dave.