Myosotis

''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 or scorpion grasses. '' Myosotis alpestris'' is the official flower of Alaska and Dalsland, Sweden. Plants of the genus are not to be confused with Chatham Islands' forget-me-nots, which belong to the related genus '' Myosotidium''.

Description

The genus was originally described by Carl Linnaeus. The type species is '' Myosotis scorpioides''. ''Myosotis'' species are annual or perennial, herbaceous, flowering plants with penta merous actinomorphic flowers with five sepals and petals. Flowers are typically in diameter or less, flatly faced, coloured typically blue, but sometimes pink, white or yellow with yellow centres and borne on scorpioid cymes. Their foliage is alternate, and their roots are generally diffuse. They typically flower in spring or soon after the melting of snow in alpine ecosystems.

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

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

Distribution

The genus is largely restricted to western Eurasia, with over 60 confirmed species, and New Zealand with around 40 endemic species. A few species occur elsewhere, including North America, South America, and Papua New Guinea. Despite this, ''Myosotis'' species are now common throughout temperate latitudes because of the introduction of cultivars and alien species. Many are popular in horticulture. They prefer moist habitats. In locales where they are not native, they frequently escape to wetlands and riverbanks.

One or two European species, especially ''Myosotis sylvatica'', the "woodland" forget-me-not, have been introduced into most of the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

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

''Myosotis'' species are food for the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the setaceous Hebrew character. Many of the species in New Zealand are threatened.

Taxonomy

Of more than 510 recorded species names, only 156 species are presently accepted, listed below. The remainder are either synonyms or hybrids of presently accepted or proposed names.

*'' Myosotis abyssinica'' Boiss. & Reut.
*'' Myosotis afropalustris'' C.H. Wright
*'' Myosotis albicans''  Riedl
*'' Myosotis albiflora'' Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f.
*'' Myosotis albosericea'' Hook.f.
*'' Myosotis alpestris'' F.W.Schmidt (alpine forget-me-not)
*'' Myosotis amabilis'' Cheeseman
*'' Myosotis ambigens'' ( Bég.) Grau
*'' Myosotis angustata'' Cheeseman
*'' Myosotis anomala''   Riedl
*'' Myosotis antarctica'' Hook.f.
*'' Myosotis arnoldii'' L.B.Moore
*''Myosotis arvensis'' (L.) Hill (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'' H.C.Watson (Azores forget-me-not)
*'' Myosotis baicalensis''  O.D.Nikif.
*'' Myosotis balbisiana'' Jord.
*'' Myosotis × bohemica'' Domin
*'' Myosotis × bollandica'' P.Jeps.
*'' Myosotis bothriospermoides'' Kitag.
*'' Myosotis brachypoda''   Gren.
*'' Myosotis brevis'' de Lange & Barkla
*'' Myosotis brockiei'' L.B.Moore & M.J.A.Simpson
*'' Myosotis bryonoma'' Meudt, Prebble & Thorsen
*'' Myosotis butorinae''  Stepanov
*'' Myosotis × cadevallii''
*'' Myosotis cadmea'' Kitag
*'' Myosotis cameroonensis''  Cheek & R.Becker
*'' Myosotis capitata'' Hook.f.
*'' Myosotis chaffeyorum'' Lehnebach
*'' Myosotis chakassica''  O.D.Nikif.
*'' Myosotis cheesemanii'' Petrie
*'' Myosotis × cinerascens'' Petrie
*'' Myosotis colensoi'' (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''   Pomel
*'' Myosotis decumbens'' Host
*'' Myosotis densiflora''
*'' Myosotis diminuta''  Grau
*'' Myosotis discolor'' Pers. (changing forget-me-not)
*'' Myosotis densiflora'' C. Koch
*'' Myosotis dissitiflora''  Baker
*'' Myosotis dubia''
*'' Myosotis ergakensis''  Stepanov
*'' Myosotis exarrhena'' F. Muell.
*'' Myosotis eximia'' Petrie
*'' Myosotis explanata'' Cheeseman
*'' Myosotis forsteri'' Lehm.
*'' 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'' Petrie
*'' Myosotis graminifolia''  DC.
*'' Myosotis graui''  Selvi
*'' Myosotis guneri'' A.P.Khokhr.
*'' Myosotis heteropoda''   Trautv.
*'' Myosotis hikuwai'' Meudt, Prebble & G.M.Rogers
*'' Myosotis imitata''  Serg.
*'' Myosotis incrassata'' Guss.
*'' Myosotis jenissejensis''  O.D.Nikif.
*'' Myosotis jordanovii''  N.Andreev & Peev
*'' Myosotis × kablikiana''
*'' Myosotis kamelinii''  O.D.Nikif.
*'' Myosotis kazakhstanica''  O.D.Nikif.
*'' Myosotis kebeshensis''  Stepanov
*'' Myosotis keniensis''  T.C.E.Fr.
*'' Myosotis koelzii''  Riedl
*'' Myosotis kolakovskyi''  A.P.Khokhr.
*'' Myosotis × krajinae''
*'' Myosotis krasnoborovii''  O.D.Nikif. & Lomon.
*'' Myosotis krylovii'' Serg.
*''Myosotis kurdica''  Riedl
*''Myosotis laeta'' Cheeseman
*''Myosotis laingii'' Cheeseman
*''Myosotis latifolia'' Poir. (broadleaf forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis laxa'' Lehm. (tufted forget-me-not or bay forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis lazica''  Mikhail Grigoríevič Popov, Popov
*''Myosotis lithospermifolia'' Jens Wilken Hornemann, Hornem.
*''Myosotis lithuanica''  (Schmalh.) Besser ex Dobrocz.
*''Myosotis litoralis''  Steven ex M.Bieb.
*''Myosotis ludomilae''  Zaver.
*''Myosotis lyallii'' Hook.f.
*''Myosotis macrantha'' (Hook.f.) George Bentham, Benth. & Hook.f. (bronze forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis macrosiphon''  Font Quer & Maire
*''Myosotis macrosperma'' George Engelmann, Engelm. (largeseed forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis magniflora''  A.P.Khokhr.
*''Myosotis margaritae''  Štěpánková
*''Myosotis maritima''  Hochst. ex Seub.
*''Myosotis martini''  Frère Sennen, Sennen
*''Myosotis matthewsii'' L.B.Moore
*''Myosotis michaelae''  Štěpánková
*''Myosotis micrantha''  Pall. ex Lehm.
*''Myosotis minutiflora'' Boiss. & Reut.
*''Myosotis monroi'' Cheeseman (Monro's forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis nemorosa'' Wilibald Swibert Joseph Gottlieb von Besser, Besser
*''Myosotis nikiforovae''  Stepanov
*''Myosotis ochotensis''  O.D.Nikif.
*''Myosotis olympica''  Pierre Edmond Boissier, Boiss.
*''Myosotis oreophila'' Petrie
*''Myosotis pansa'' ( L.B.Moore) Meudt, Prebble, R.J.Stanley & Thorsen
*''Myosotis × parviflora''
*''Myosotis paucipilosa''  (Grau) Ristow & Hand
*''Myosotis × permixta''
*''Myosotis persoonii''  Georges RouyRouy & Edmond Gustave Camus, E.G.Camus
*''Myosotis petiolata'' Hook.f.
*''Myosotis platyphylla'' Pierre Edmond Boissier, Boiss.
*''Myosotis popovii''  Dariya Nikitichna Dobroczajeva, Dobrocz.
*''Myosotis pospelovae''
*''Myosotis pottsiana'' ( L.B.Moore) Meudt, Prebble, R.J.Stanley & Thorsen
*''Myosotis propinqua''  (Turcz.) Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
*''Myosotis × pseudohispida''
*''Myosotis pulvinaris'' Hook.f. (cushion forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis pusilla''  Jean-Louis-Auguste Loiseleur-Deslongchamps, Loisel.
*''Myosotis radix-palaris''  A.P.Khokhr.
*''Myosotis rakiura'' L.B.Moore
*''Myosotis ramosissima'' Rochel (early forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis refracta''  Pierre Edmond Boissier, Boiss.
*''Myosotis rehsteineri''  (Hausm.) Wartm. ex Reut.
*''Myosotis retrorsa'' Meudt, Prebble & Hindmarsh-Walls
*''Myosotis rivularis'' (Vestergr.) A.P. Khokhr
*''Myosotis robusta''  David Don, D.Don
*''Myosotis sajanensis''  O.D.Nikif.
*''Myosotis saxatilis'' Petrie
*''Myosotis saxosa'' Hook.f.
*''Myosotis schistosa''  A.P.Khokhr.
*''Myosotis schmakovii''  O.D.Nikif.
*'' Myosotis scorpioides'' (L.) (true forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis secunda'' Al.Murray (creeping forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis semiamplexicaulis'' Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, DC.
*''Myosotis sicula'' Guss. (Jersey forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis solange''  Werner Rodolfo Greuter, Greuter & Zaffran
*''Myosotis soleirolii''  Dominique Alexandre Godron, Godr.
*''Myosotis sparsiflora'' Johann Christian Mikan, J.C.Mikan ''ex'' Johann Baptist Emanuel Pohl, Pohl
*''Myosotis spatulata'' Georg Forster, G.Forst.
*''Myosotis speciosa''  Pomel
*''Myosotis speluncicola'' Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, Schott ''ex'' Boiss.
*''Myosotis stenophylla'' Knaf
*''Myosotis stolonifera'' (Jacques Etienne Gay, J.Gay ex DC.) J.Gay ex Leresche & Levier
*''Myosotis stricta'' Johann_Heinrich Friedrich Link, Link ''ex'' Roem. & Schult.
*''Myosotis suavis'' Petrie]
*''Myosotis subcordata''  Riedl
*''Myosotis × suzae''
*''Myosotis sylvatica'' Ehrh. ''ex'' Georg Franz Hoffmann, Hoffm. (wood forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis taverae''  Valdés
*''Myosotis tenericaulis'' Petrie
*''Myosotis tineoi''  C.Brullo & Salvatore Brullo, Brullo
*''Myosotis traversii'' Hook.f.
*''Myosotis tuxeniana'' (Oriol de Bolòs, O.Bolòs & Vigo) O.Bolòs & Vigo
*''Myosotis ucrainica'' Vassilii Matveievitch Czernajew, Czern.
*''Myosotis ultramafica'' Meudt, Prebble & Rance
*''Myosotis umbrosa'' Meudt, Prebble & Thorsen
*''Myosotis uniflora'' Hook.f.
*''Myosotis urceolaris''   Shuttlew.
*''Myosotis venosa'' William Colenso, Colenso
*''Myosotis venticola'' Meudt & Prebble
*''Myosotis verchojanica''
*''Myosotis verna'' Nutt. (spring forget-me-not)
*''Myosotis vestergrenii''  Stroh
*''Myosotis welwitschii'' Boiss. & Reut.
*''Myosotis wumengensis''  L.Wei

Gallery

File:Myosotis scorpioides LC0184.jpg, '' Myosotis scorpioides''
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, '' Myosotis alpestris''

Symbolism

The small, blue forget-me-not flower was first used by the Grand Lodge ''Zur Sonne'', in 1926, as a Masonic emblem at the annual convention in Bremen, Germany. 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 welfare branch of the Nazi party. This coincidence enabled Freemasonry, Freemasons to wear the forget-me-not badge as a secret sign of membership.

After World War II, 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 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 in the UK.

The flower is also the symbol for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, 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 five purple petals symbolise the future, and the five continents to which Armenians escaped. The yellow in the centre symbolises eternity, and the Tsitsernakaberd 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 (Lithuania), 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.

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 the United Kingdom, many health settings make use of the forget-me-not as a symbol to highlight that someone has dementia; it may be placed on notes, bedsides or patient boards. Also in the United Kingdom, the forget-me-not is the symbol of the Alzheimer's Society.

In the history of art, the forget-me-not is used to remember loved ones who have died, and so is very common in funerary portraits.

Since the Middle Ages, Medieval period it has become a symbol of everlasting love and devotion. There is a German legend set as an origin story behind the name "Forget-Me-Not". In the legend, a knight was walking with his lady near the Danube, Danube River and decided to pick blue flowers for her. While picking the flowers he fell in the river and was swept away. He tossed the flowers to his lady and his last words to her were "Forget-me-not!".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q147149

Myosotis,
Boraginaceae genera
Symbols of Alaska
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus