''Myosotis'' ( ) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of flowering plants in the family

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the or ...

. The name comes from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

"mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses. ''

Myosotis alpestris ''Myosotis alpestris'' or alpine forget-me-not is a herbaceous perennial plant in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. The alpine forget-me-not is the county flower of Westmorland in the United Kingdom and the state flower of Alaska in the ...

'' is the official flower of

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

and

Dalsland Dalsland () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, and ...

, Sweden. Plants of the genus are commonly confused with

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...

' forget-me-nots, which belong to the related genus '' Myosotidium''.

Description

The genus was originally described by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...

. The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

is ''

Myosotis scorpioides ''Myosotis scorpioides'' ( syn. ''Myosotis palustris''), the true forget-me-not or water forget-me-not, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae. Distribution and habitat It is native to Europe and Asia, bu ...

''. ''Myosotis'' species are

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

herbaceous

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s with penta merous

actinomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spirall ...

flowers with 5 sepals and petals. Flowers are typically 1 cm in diameter or less, flatly faced, coloured blue, pink, white or yellow with yellow centres and borne on scorpioid cymes. The foliage is alternate, and their

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...

s are generally diffuse. They typically flower in spring or soon after the melting of snow in alpine ecosystems. Wald Vergissmeinnicht

The

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s are contained in small, tulip-shaped pods along the stem to the flower. The pods attach to clothing when brushed against and eventually fall off, leaving the small seed within the pod to

germinate Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fer ...

elsewhere. Seeds can be collected by placing a sheet of paper under stems and shaking the seed pods onto the paper. ''

'' is colloquially called ''scorpion grass'' because of the spiraling curvature of its inflorescence.

Distribution

The genus is largely restricted to western

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...

, with approximately 60 confirmed species, and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

with approximately 40 endemic species. A few species occur elsewhere including North America,

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, and

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. Despite this, ''Myosotis'' species are now common throughout temperate latitudes because of the introduction of

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s and alien species. Many are popular in

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

. They prefer moist habitats. In locales where they are not native, they frequently escape to

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

s and riverbanks. Only those native to the Northern hemisphere are colloquially denominated "forget-me-nots". One or two

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

an species, especially ''

Myosotis sylvatica ''Myosotis sylvatica'', the wood forget-me-not or woodland forget-me-not, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Boraginaceae, native plant, native to Europe. This spring-flowering plant and its cultivars, typically with ...

'', the "woodland" forget-me-nots, have been introduced into most of the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

regions of Europe,

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

, and the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. Genetic analysis indicates that the genus originated in the northern hemisphere, and that species native to New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea and South America form a lineage of closely related species that are likely derived from a single dispersal event to the southern hemisphere.

Ecology

Hover Fly feeding on forget-me-not flower 2

''Myosotis'' are food for the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some Lepidoptera species including the

setaceous Hebrew character The setaceous Hebrew character (''Xestia c-nigrum'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in the Palearctic realm. It is a common specie ...

. Many of the species in

are threatened.

Taxonomy

Of more than 510 recorded species names, only 152

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

are presently accepted, listed below. The remainder are either synonyms or hybrids of presently accepted or proposed names. *''

Myosotis abyssinica ''Myosotis abyssinica'' () is a species of plant in the family Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution. Th ...

Boiss. Pierre Edmond Boissier (25 May 1810 Geneva – 25 September 1885 Valeyres-sous-Rances) was a Swiss prominent botanist, explorer and mathematician. He was the son of Jacques Boissier (1784-1857) and Caroline Butini (1786-1836), daughter of Pierr ...

& Reut. *'' Myosotis afropalustris'' C.H. Wright *'' Myosotis albicans'' Riedl *''

Myosotis albiflora ''Myosotis albiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to southern Chile and Argentina. This species was described by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in Joseph Dalton Hooker's 19th century work ''Flora Antarct ...

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becaus ...

Sol. Daniel Carlsson Solander or Daniel Charles Solander (19 February 1733 – 13 May 1782) was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Solander was the first university-educated scientist to set foot on Australian soil. Biography ...

Hook.f. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of ...

*'' Myosotis albosericea''

*''

'' F.W.Schmidt (alpine forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis amabilis'' Cheeseman *'' Myosotis ambigens'' ( Bég.) Grau *'' Myosotis angustata'' Cheeseman *'' Myosotis anomala'' Riedl *'' Myosotis antarctica''

*''

Myosotis arnoldii ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' L.B.Moore *''

Myosotis arvensis ''Myosotis arvensis'' or field forget-me-not is a herbaceous annual to short lived perennial flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. Clive Stace describes this plant as having the following characteristics: * Upright, to ; softly hairy, wi ...

'' (L.)

Hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

(field forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis asiatica'' (Vestergr. ''ex'' Hultén) Schischk. & Serg. (Asiatic forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis atlantica'' Vestergr. *'' Myosotis australis'' R.Br. *'' Myosotis austrosibirica'' O.D.Nikif. *''

Myosotis azorica ''Myosotis azorica'', common name Azorean mouse-ear or Azorean forget-me-not, is a plant species endemic to the Azores Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. Description ''Myosotis azorica'' is a perennial herb with decumbent stems up to 30 ...

'' H.C.Watson (Azores forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis baicalensis'' O.D.Nikif. *'' Myosotis balbisiana'' Jord. *'' Myosotis bothriospermoides'' Kitag. *''

Myosotis brachypoda ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

Gren. Jean Charles Marie Grenier (1808–1875) was a French botanist and naturalist who was a professor to the Faculty of Sciences at Besançon. In 1836 he received his doctorate in medicine, followed by his degree in sciences in 1844. At Besançon, h ...

*'' Myosotis brevis'' de Lange & Barkla *'' Myosotis brockiei'' L.B.Moore & M.J.A.Simpson *'' Myosotis bryonoma'' Meudt, Prebble & Thorsen *'' Myosotis butorinae'' Stepanov *'' Myosotis cadmea'' Kitag *'' Myosotis cameroonensis''

Cheek The cheeks ( la, buccae) constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve. The area between the insi ...

& R.Becker *'' Myosotis capitata''

*'' Myosotis chaffeyorum'' Lehnebach *''

Myosotis chakassica ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' O.D.Nikif. *'' Myosotis cheesemanii''

Petrie Petrie is a surname of Scottish origin which may refer to: People * Alexander Petrie (died 1662), Scottish minister * Alistair Petrie (born 1970), English actor * Andrew Petrie (1798–1872), Scottish-born builder, architect and first free settle ...

*'' Myosotis × cinerascens''

*'' Myosotis colensoi'' (

Kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it. Basic meaning and etymology As a common noun, ''kirk' ...

) J.F.Macbr. *'' Myosotis concinna'' Cheeseman *'' Myosotis congesta'' Shuttlew. *'' Myosotis corsicana'' (Fiori) Grau *'' Myosotis czekanowskii'' (Trautv.) Kamelin & V.N.Tikhom. *'' Myosotis daralaghezica'' T.N.Popova *''

Myosotis debilis ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' Pomel *'' Myosotis decumbens'' Host *'' Myosotis diminuta'' Grau *'' Myosotis discolor''

Pers. Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1 February 1761 – 16 November 1836) was a German mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy. Early life Persoon was born in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, the third child of an imm ...

(changing forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis densiflora'' C. Koch *'' Myosotis dissitiflora'' Baker *''

Myosotis ergakensis ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' Stepanov *''

Myosotis exarrhena ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vic ...

*'' Myosotis eximia''

*''

Myosotis explanata ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' Cheeseman *''

Myosotis forsteri ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

Lehm. Johann Georg Christian Lehmann (25 February 1792 – 12 February 1860) was a German botanist. Born at Haselau, near Uetersen, Duchy of Holstein, Holstein, Lehmann studied medicine in Copenhagen and Göttingen, obtained a doctorate in medicine ...

*'' Myosotis gallica'' Vestergr. *'' Myosotis galpinii'' C.H.Wright *'' Myosotis glabrescens'' L.B.Moore *'' Myosotis glauca'' ( G.Simpson & J.S.Thomson) de Lange & Barkla *'' Myosotis goyenii''

*''

Myosotis graminifolia ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' DC. *'' Myosotis graui'' Selvi *'' Myosotis guneri '' A.P.Khokhr. *''

Myosotis heteropoda ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

Trautv. Ernst Rudolf von Trautvetter (20 February 1809, in Jelgava – 24 January 1889, in St. Petersburg), was a Baltic German botanist, specialising in the flora of the Caucasus and central Asia. He was the son of Ernst Christian Johann von Trautvetter ...

*'' Myosotis hikuwai'' Meudt, Prebble & G.M.Rogers *'' Myosotis imitata'' Serg. *'' Myosotis incrassata''

Guss. Giovanni Gussone (8 February 1787, Villamaina – 14 January 1866, Naples) was an Italian people, Italian academic and botany, botanist, remembered for his work in plant taxonomy and in particular his research in Sicily, Sicilian flora. He studied ...

*''

Myosotis jenissejensis ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' O.D.Nikif. *'' Myosotis jordanovii'' N.Andreev & Peev *''

Myosotis kamelinii ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' O.D.Nikif. *''

Myosotis kazakhstanica ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' O.D.Nikif. *'' Myosotis kebeshensis'' Stepanov *''

Myosotis keniensis ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' T.C.E.Fr. *''

Myosotis koelzii ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' Riedl *'' Myosotis kolakovskyi'' A.P.Khokhr. *'' Myosotis krasnoborovii'' O.D.Nikif. & Lomon. *'' Myosotis krylovii'' Serg. *'' Myosotis kurdica'' Riedl *'' Myosotis laeta'' Cheeseman *'' Myosotis laingii'' Cheeseman *'' Myosotis latifolia''

Poir. Jean Louis Marie Poiret (11 June 1755 in Saint-Quentin7 April 1834 in Paris) was a French clergyman, botanist, and explorer. From 1785 to 1786, he was sent by Louis XVI to Algeria to study the flora. After the French Revolution, he became a ...

(broadleaf forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis laxa''

(tufted forget-me-not or bay forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis lazica'' Popov *''

Myosotis lithospermifolia ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

Hornem. Jens Wilken Hornemann (6 March 1770 – 30 July 1841) was a Denmark, Danish botanist. Biography He was a lecturer at the University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden from 1801. After the death of Martin Vahl (botanist), Martin Vahl in 1804, the task ...

*'' Myosotis lithuanica'' (Schmalh.) Besser ex Dobrocz. *'' Myosotis litoralis'' Steven ex M.Bieb. *'' Myosotis ludomilae'' Zaver. *'' Myosotis lyallii''

*'' Myosotis macrantha'' (

)

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

*'' Myosotis macrosiphon'' Font Quer & Maire *'' Myosotis macrosperma''

Engelm. George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora (plants), flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; ...

(largeseed forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis magniflora'' A.P.Khokhr. *'' Myosotis margaritae'' Štěpánková *''

Myosotis maritima ''Myosotis maritima'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae endemic to the Azores. It is found in rocks, cliffs and coastal landslides, at altitudes generally below (on the island of Flores Flores is one of the Lesser ...

'' Hochst. ex Seub. *'' Myosotis martini''

Sennen Sennen (''Cornish: Sen Senan'' or ''Sen Senana'') is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Sennen village is situated approximately eight miles (13 km) west-southwest of Penzance.Ordnance Survey: Landra ...

*'' Myosotis matthewsii'' L.B.Moore *'' Myosotis michaelae'' Štěpánková *'' Myosotis micrantha'' Pall. ex Lehm. *'' Myosotis minutiflora''

& Reut. *'' Myosotis monroi'' Cheeseman (Monro's forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis nemorosa'' Besser *'' Myosotis nikiforovae'' Stepanov *'' Myosotis ochotensis'' O.D.Nikif. *''

Myosotis olympica ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

*'' Myosotis oreophila''

*'' Myosotis pansa'' ( L.B.Moore) Meudt, Prebble, R.J.Stanley & Thorsen *'' Myosotis paucipilosa'' (Grau) Ristow & Hand *'' Myosotis persoonii'' Georges RouyRouy & E.G.Camus *'' Myosotis petiolata''

*'' Myosotis platyphylla''

*'' Myosotis popovii'' Dobrocz. *'' Myosotis pottsiana'' ( L.B.Moore) Meudt, Prebble, R.J.Stanley & Thorsen *'' Myosotis propinqua'' (Turcz.) Fisch. & C.A.Mey. *'' Myosotis pulvinaris''

*''

Myosotis pusilla ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' Loisel. *'' Myosotis radix-palaris'' A.P.Khokhr. *'' Myosotis ramosissima'' Rochel (early forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis rakiura'' L.B.Moore *'' Myosotis refracta''

*'' Myosotis rehsteineri'' (Hausm.) Wartm. ex Reut. *''

Myosotis retrorsa ''Myosotis retrorsa'' is a species of flowering plant in the Family (biology), family Boraginaceae, Endemic species, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Heidi Meudt, Jessica Prebble and Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls described the species. Plant ...

'' Meudt, Prebble & Hindmarsh-Walls *'' Myosotis rivularis'' (Vestergr.) A.P. Khokhr *'' Myosotis robusta'' D.Don *'' Myosotis sajanensis'' O.D.Nikif. *'' Myosotis saxatilis''

*''

Myosotis saxosa ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

*'' Myosotis schistosa'' A.P.Khokhr. *'' Myosotis schmakovii'' O.D.Nikif. *''

'' (L.) (true forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis secunda'' Al.Murray (creeping forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis semiamplexicaulis'' DC. *'' Myosotis sicula''

(Jersey forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis solange'' Greuter & Zaffran *'' Myosotis soleirolii'' Godr. *'' Myosotis sparsiflora''

J.C.Mikan Johann Christian Mikan (born 5 December 1769 in Teplitz, died 28 December 1844 in Prague) was an Austrian-Czech botanist, zoologist and entomologist. He was the son of Joseph Gottfried Mikan. Career Mikan was a professor of natural history a ...

''ex''

Pohl Pohl is a German surname of several possible origins.Pohl Name Meaning
Myosotis spatulata''

G.Forst. Johann George Adam Forster, also known as Georg Forster (, 27 November 1754 – 10 January 1794), was a German naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist and revolutionary. At an early age, he accompanied his father, Johann Reinhold F ...

*'' Myosotis speciosa'' Auguste PomelPomel *'' Myosotis speluncicola'' Schott ''ex'' Boiss *'' Myosotis stenophylla'' Knaf *'' Myosotis stolonifera( J.Gay ex DC.) J.Gay ex Leresche & Levier *'' Myosotis stricta'' Link ''ex''

Roem. Johann Jacob Roemer (8 January 1763, Zurich – 15 January 1819) was a physician and professor of botany in Zurich, Switzerland. He was also an entomologist. With Austrian botanist Joseph August Schultes, he published the 16th edition of Carl ...

& Schult. *'' Myosotis suavis''

*'' Myosotis subcordata'' Riedl *''

'' Ehrh. ''ex'' Hoffm. (wood forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis tenericaulis''

*'' Myosotis taverae'' Valdés *'' Myosotis tineoi'' C.Brullo & Brullo *'' Myosotis traillii''

*'' Myosotis traversii''

*'' Myosotis tuxeniana'' ( O.Bolòs & Vigo) O.Bolòs & Vigo *''

Myosotis ucrainica ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

'' Czern. *'' Myosotis ultramafica'' Meudt, Prebble & Rance *'' Myosotis umbrosa'' Meudt, Prebble & Thorsen *''

Myosotis uniflora ''Myosotis uniflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described the species in 1867. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial with a prost ...

*'' Myosotis urceolaris'' Shuttlew. *'' Myosotis venosa'' Colenso *'' Myosotis venticola'' Meudt & Prebble *'' Myosotis verna''

Nutt. Thomas Nuttall (5 January 1786 – 10 September 1859) was an England, English botany, botanist and zoologist who lived and worked in America from 1808 until 1841. Nuttall was born in the village of Long Preston, near Settle, North Yorkshire, S ...

(spring forget-me-not) *'' Myosotis vestergrenii'' Stroh *'' Myosotis welwitschii''

& Reut. *'' Myosotis wumengensis'' L.Wei

Gallery

File:Myosotis scorpioides LC0184.jpg, ''

'' File:Myosotis eximia Flowers MRD Otari.jpg, '' Myosotis eximia'' File:Myosotis colensoi.jpg, '' Myosotis colensoi'' File:Myosotis pulvinaris 2.jpg, '' Myosotis pulvinaris'' File:Myosotis pansa kz1.jpg, '' Myosotis pansa'' File:Blue forget-me-nots.jpg, ''Myosotis sylvatica'' File:P1050373 Alpine forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris) in Kharta Chu side valley, Tibet Thu 20 July 2006.jpg, ''

Symbolism

The small blue forget-me-not flower was first used by the

Grand Lodge A Grand Lodge (or Grand Orient or other similar title) is the overarching governing body of a fraternal or other similarly organized group in a given area, usually a city, state, or country. In Freemasonry A Grand Lodge or Grand Orient is the us ...

''Zur Sonne'', in 1926, as a Masonic emblem at the annual convention in Bremen,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. In 1938, a forget-me-not badge—made by the same factory as the Masonic badge—was chosen for the annual Nazi Party '' Winterhilfswerk'', the annual charity drive of the

National Socialist People's Welfare The National Socialist People's Welfare (german: Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt, NSV) was a social welfare organization during the Third Reich. The NSV was originally established in 1931 as a small Nazi Party-affiliated charity active loc ...

, the welfare branch of the Nazi party. This coincidence enabled Freemasons to wear the forget-me-not badge as a secret sign of membership. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the forget-me-not flower was used again as a Masonic emblem in 1948 at the first Annual Convention of the

United Grand Lodges of Germany The United Grand Lodges of Germany (German: ''Vereinigte Großlogen von Deutschland'' or VGLvD) is an association (confederation) of the five Grand Lodges of Freemasons in Germany which are recognized as '' regular'' by the United Grand Lodge of E ...

. The badge is now worn in the coat lapel by Freemasons around the world to remember all who suffered in the name of Freemasonry, especially those during the Nazi era. The flower is also used as a symbol of remembrance by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is used to commemorate those from the province who were killed in the First World War, and worn around July 1. It is also used in Germany to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the world wars in a similar manner to the use of

remembrance poppies A remembrance poppy is an artificial flower worn in some countries to commemorate their military personnel who died in war. Remembrance poppies are produced by veterans' associations, who exchange the poppies for charitable donations used to gi ...

in the UK. The flower is also the symbol for the Armenian Genocide's 100th anniversary. The design of the flower is a black dot symbolising the past, and the suffering of Armenian people. The light purple appendages symbolise the present, and unity of Armenians. The 5 purple petals symbolise the future, and the five continents Armenians escaped to. The yellow in the centre symbolises eternity, and the

Tsitsernakaberd The Armenian Genocide Memorial complex ( hy, Հայոց ցեղասպանության զոհերի հուշահամալիր, ''Hayots tseghaspanutyan zoheri hushahamalir'', or Ծիծեռնակաբերդ, '' Tsitsernakaberd'') is Armenia's official ...

itself symbolises the 12 provinces lost to Turkey. In Lithuania the flower has become one of the symbols for the commemoration of the January Events of 1991. In The Netherlands, the forget-me-not has become a symbol for Alzheimer Nederland, a foundation advocating for people suffering from

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

. In New Zealand, the Forget-Me-Not is the symbol for Alzheimers New Zealand, the foundation advocating for people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. In history of art, the forget-me-not is used to remember loved ones who have passed away. It is therefore very common in funerary portraits.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q147149 Boraginaceae genera Symbols of Alaska Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Blue flowers