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Describing and classifying native forget-me-nots

Te Papa researcher: Heidi Meudt

Aotearoa New Zealand's native forget-me-nots are a high conservation priority. This collections-based research includes field work, and analyses of morphology, pollen, DNA, and other characteristics to determine how many species there are, how to tell them apart, and where they are found. This will help determine their conservation status, and the research will also result in a taxonomic revision of all c. 50 Southern Hemisphere forget-me-not species (Myosotis; Boraginaceae). 

Our team of botanists on a forget-me-not field trip in Fiordland. Photo by Heidi Meudt. Te Papa

Myosotis glabrescens. Photo by Heidi Meudt. Te Papa

Main collaborators: Jessie Prebble, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research; Jennifer Tate, Massey University

Funding: The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Science and Innovation Group (via Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research); the Hutton Fund; and the Department of Conservation.

Representative publications

Links