Myosotis arvensis

Myosotis arvensis (L.) Hill, Veg. Syst. 7: 55 1764. (syn: Echioides annua (Moench) Moench; Myosotis annua Moench; Myosotis arvensis var. atlantica Maire; Myosotis aspera Schur; Myosotis collina Bab.; Myosotis hamosa Stokes; Myosotis intermedia Link; Myosotis media E. H. L. Krause; Myosotis nana Miégev.; Myosotis pseudosylvatica Schur; Myosotis scorpioides var. arvensis L.; Scorpioides hirsutus Gilib.);

Myosotis arvensis or Field Forget-me-not is a herbaceous annual to short lived perennial flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae.

Stace^[1]^:564 describes this plant as having the following characteristics:

Upright, to 40 cm; softly hairy, with hairs at more-or-less right-angles to the stem.
Flowers grey-blue, 3-5mm across, saucer shaped in profile; sepal tube with hooked hairs; April–October.^[2]^:208
Mature fruit dark brown, shiny.
Mature calyx on spreading stalks longer than sepal tube; calyx teeth conceal the ripe fruit.
Basal leaves stalked, in a rosette; upper leaves not stalked.
Generally found on open, well drained ground; common throughout the British Isles.

(from Wikipedia on 31.10.16)
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Images by Gurcharan Singh (Id by J.M.Garg) (Inserted by J.M.Garg) (For more images & complete details, click on the links)

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Boraginaceae Week: Another Myosotis for ID from Kashmir:
This is another Myosotis which is grown in Herbal Garden in Kashmir, I am inclined to include under Myotosis syklvatica (or M. arvensis) because of spreading hairs on calyx, calyx loles spreading in flowers, erect in fruit and acute nutlets, but appressed hairs on stem and inflorescence axis are puxzzling, Please help in resolving.

Thanks, … Appears to be Myosotis laxa subsp. caespitosa (Schultz) Hyl. ex Nordh. as per your images in another thread

This has incorrectly been identified as Myosotis laxa subsp. caespitosa. … was correct to draw attention to the spreading hairs on calyx which rules out this species (or M.palustris) if you accept this species in India. And that the choice appeared to be between M.sylvatica and M.arvensis.

The next part of the key to the genus is a problem because it refers to the length of the pedicels compared to the fruiting calyx – the final image shows an immature fruit.

After that other features of the fruits such as nutlet characteristics are important and width of corolla limb – the latter is difficult to estimate from the photo then because it is a cultivated plant of no known provenance, one cannot use that information to help…..

Nevertheless, M.stricta and M.refracta (which is not an accepted name in ‘The Plant List’) can be eliminated.

So how does no tell M.sylvatica and M.arvensis apart? We have both species in the UK. The key in ‘The New Flora of the British Isles’. In M.sylvatica the corolla is less than or equal to 8mm across, with a +/- flat limb; calyx teeth erecto-patent exposing ripe nutlets whereas M.arvensis has a corolla less than or equal to 5mm across, with saucer-shaped limb, calyx teeth erect +/- appressed and concealing ripe nutlets). But do these descriptions apply to specimens in India?

Of the two I am favouring M.arvensis see: http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/field-forget-me-not

rather than M.sylvatica see: http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/wood-forget-me-not

Professor Stace considers maximum corolla-size is of diagnostic value in Myosotis but larger flowered spp. often produce flowers with unusually small corollas.
What do you think – either way, definitely not M.laxa subsp. caespitosa….

Thanks … for critical analysis. I will have fresh scrutiny of live specimens when I visit Kashmir in next summer and keep crucial differences in mind.

Images by Ashwini Bhatia (Id by J.M.Garg) (Inserted by J.M.Garg) (For more photos & complete details, click on the links)

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Myosotis sp. ABAUG2016/14 : 7 posts by 2 authors. 4 images.

This beautiful shrub like plant with tiny blue flowers could be a Myosotis species but I could be completely off the mark. Please advise.

Triund, HP

2900m approx.
31 July 2016

Check with images at Myosotis along with those at Small-Flowered Forget-Me-Not & Myosotis laxa subsp. caespitosa (Schultz) Hyl. ex Nordh.

Thank you very much … The second link doesn’t open. Please check.

http://www.flowersofindia.Small-FloweredForget-Me-Not

I think it appears more closer to Myosotis laxa subsp. caespitosa (Schultz) Hyl. ex Nordh. as per images in another thread by …

Thank you … It does seem close. I will look into my files to see if I have any close ups.

Yes, this is a Myosotis but sorry, yet again, it is not M.laxa susbp. caespitosa– unfortunately there are not good close-ups of the calyces but one can tell that there are spreading hairs not appressed, ruling out this species.

It also does not fit with M.stricta such as the images on the FOI site.

I am once again in favour of this being Myosotis arvensis