Myosotis scorpioides L., Sp. Pl. 131 1753. (syn: Echioides palustris (Hill) Moench; Echioides perennis (Moench) Moench; Myosotis adpressa Stokes; Myosotis aspera LaMotte; Myosotis coronaria Dum.; Myosotis dumortieri Thielens; Myosotis geniculata Schur; Myosotis montana Pourr. ex Steud.; Myosotis multiflora Mérat; Myosotis nemorosa Bess.; Myosotis palustris Hill; Myosotis perennis Moench; Myosotis scorpioides subsp. multiflora (Merat) P. Foum.; Myosotis scorpioides subsp. palustris (L.) F. Hermann; Scorpioides glaber Gilib.);
Boraginaceae Week: Myosotis caespitosa from Pahalgam, Kashmir: Myosotis caespitosa C. F. Schultz, Prodr. Fl. Starg. Suppl. 1: 11. 1819.
Perennial herb distinguished by appressed pubescence specially on calyx, more or less ascending week branches, calyx divided nearly up to middle or so, fruiting pedicels more or less horizontal and up to 10 mm long and style shorter than fruiting calyx.
Photographed from Pahalgam, Kashmir
This must be most blue flowered family For a change the inflorescence doesn’t appear to be a classical helicoid cyme! Or is it some modification which I haven’t understood? I am in agreement that the hairs on the calyces of this appear to be appressed & straight only. Which suggests either M.caespitosa or M.palustris– I cannot see sufficient detail nor is it possible to tell whether the style is shorter or as long as the fruiting calyx. Not sure of other differences based upon key in ‘Flora of Pakistan’. Would anyone like to say if they can distinguish between the two? Can the two be separated in the Indian Himalaya? In the UK we have both species, one now M.laxa subsp. caespitosa and M.scropioides (syn. M.palustris). In our ‘New Flora of the British Isles’ (Stace) the two are separated as well by the calyx divided less than 1/2 way to base at flowering, with broad teeth forming equilateral triangle in M.palustris (using the name used in Flora of Pakistan) whereas M.caespitosa (using the name used in this post) often divided more than or 1/2 way to the base at flowering, with narrow teeth forming an isosceles triangle (see, secondary geometry has its uses after all).
The images taken at Pahlgam indicate calyces divided less than half way to base and thus fit with M.scorpioides (syn. M.palustris) and not M.laxa susbp. caespitosa? But do differences/ a key distinguishing species in the UK apply in India?
What does anyone else think?
See: http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/water-forget-me-not for M.scorpioides (M.palustris according to Pakistan flora)
See: http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/tufted-forget-me-not for M.laxa subsp. caespitosa
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