Flora of New Zealand Series

grassland forget-me-not

Annual with 1-many, erect stems up to c. 25 cm high, but often much less; stem hairs antrorse. Lvs sessile or nearly so; lower lvs to c. 2.5 × 0.75 cm, lanceolate to ovate or oblong-ovate, densely hairy; veins of lower surface with hooked hairs; apex obtuse or nearly so. Cymes usually ebracteate, elongating to much > leafy part of the stem after flowering. Pedicels c. 1 mm long, scarcely elongating. Calyx 2-3 mm long, elongating to c. 5 mm long at fruiting; tube with spreading, hooked hairs, glandular; lobes densely hairy, narrowly triangular, c. 1/2 length of calyx, remaining erect. Corolla limb c. 2.5 mm diam., scarcely > calyx, light to dark blue, concave; lobes rounded-obtuse. Style very short, much < calyx tube. Nutlets c. 1.5 × 1 mm, ovoid, brown; rim present.

N.: mostly rare; S.: common in drier parts to c. 1000 m.

Europe 1968

Waste places, poor open pastures.

FL Nov-Dec.

This sp. is most likely to be confused with M. discolor but the corolla colour always distinguishes them. N.Z. plants of M. stricta have been called M. micrantha, but this is a distinct sp. not known to be present in N.Z.