Myosotis secunda

Myosotis secunda, also known as the creeping forget-me-not^[2] is a species of flowering plant from the family Boraginaceae.^[1]

Myosotis secunda
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Boraginales
Family:	Boraginaceae
Genus:	Myosotis
Species:	M. secunda
Binomial name
Myosotis secunda Al.Murray
Synonyms
Synonymy Myosotis baetica (Pérez Lara) Rocha Afonso Myosotis repens G.Don Myosotis repens G.Don ex Hook.

Description

Myosotis secunda is a perennial herb.^[3] Creeping stems sprout from the base of the plant and produce roots at nodes.^[4] Stems can reach up to 38cm tall.^[5] Flowers are usually blue in colour, however white can occasionally be found.^[6] Flower spikes possess several flowers which are 4 - 9mm in diameter.^[4]

Distribution

This species is endemic to Europe. M. secunda can be found growing in the following countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France. It can also be found growing on the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Faroe Islands.^[1]

In Portugal the species can be found on the mainland, but also on the islands of Madeira and Azores.^[1]

Habitat

Myosotis secunda grows in proximity to wetland habitats such as on the margins of streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, creeks and waterfalls. It will also grow in wet grasslands, bogs, fens, marshes, swamps and peatlands.^[1] This species often occurs growing in acidic soils.^[1]

Ecology

Both M. secunda and M. scorpioides grow in wetland habitats. M. scorpioides grows in nutrient rich soils, while M. secunda will outcompete and replace it in nutrient poor soils.^[7]

Myosotis secunda is one of many host plants for the beetle species Phaedon armoraciae.^[8][9]

The species can sometimes be found growing alongside other wetland plant species such as bog pimpernel (Anagallis tenella) and marsh-bedstraw (Galium palustre).^[10]

Hybridization

A new hybrid species was discovered in Bowland Fells, Lancashire, United Kingdom. The hybrid is sterile and between Myosotis secunda and Myosotis stolonifera. It was described by P. Jepson and given the binomial name Myosotis × bollandica.^[11]

References

1. "Creeping Forget-me-not". www.iucnredlist.org. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
2. "Myosotis secunda". www.rhs.org.uk. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
3. "Myosotis secunda". Watsonia. 6: 276–279. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
4. "Creeping Forget-me-not". www.plant-identification.co.uk. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
5. "Myosotis secunda A. Murray". eol.org. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
6. Smith, J. E. (1840). English Botany; Or, Coloured Figures of British Plants: With Their Essential Characters, Synonyms, and Places of Growth. United Kingdom: Richard Taylor.
7. Smith, Paul L. (2015). Indicator Plants Using Plants to Evaluate the Environment. Wildtrack Publishing Limited. p. 34. ISBN 9781904098362.
8. Clark, Shawn Meredith (2004). Host Plants of Leaf Beetle Species Occurring in the United States and Canada. Coleopterists Society. p. 290. ISBN 9780972608732.
9. "Phaedon armoraciae (Linnaeus, 1758)". www.ukbeetles.co.uk. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
10. Kitchener, Geoffrey (2021). "Kent Rare Plant Register Species Accounts M" (PDF). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
11. Jepson, Welch, Bailey, P., David, J P (2012). "A new Myosotis hybrid, Myosotis × bollandica (Boraginaceae)". www.researchgate.net. Retrieved 2022-04-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)