Forget-me-nots
What are they?
These are small to medium-sized, herbaceous perennials or annuals and are members of the borage family (Boraginaceae). Forget-me-nots are familiar flowers of spring and well known to many for their intensely blue flowers; they are commonly planted in gardens and - especially - in churchyards and cemeteries, but we have a number of native species that also flower through the summer. Most species have simple, rather coarsely hairy leaves and the flowers are typical of the family, being fused into a tube at the base and carried in curled spikes that gradually uncurl and elongate as the flowers mature in turn.
Where are they found?
Forget-me-nots occur in a wide range of habitats from woodland and grassy places to arable land and water margins and the habitat type can often help towards determining the species.
Identification
The vivid blue (sometimes pale yellow or white), five-petalled flowers with their tiny centres are generally rather easy to recognise as belonging to this group. Looking beyond the flowers, some of the larger species can be identified by their leaf shape, but our native forget-me-nots can be tricky and require careful checking of the hairs along with details of the calyx (the fused, green sepals that form the base of the flower). It is always worth remembering that the early season, curled flower spikes look very different to the elongated spikes that are present at the end of the flowering period. This feature is common to all forget-me-nots and the appearance of a plant will vary according to the stage of growth that it is in when it is found. Note that any of the species may at times have white flowers where the blue colour pigment is missing.
Field Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis
Introduced. Scattered on the inhabited islands on farmland and in urban environments. Flowers April to September. Plants to 50cm in height and typically rather spindly. Flowers up to 5mm across, pale sky blue. Hairs on calyx spreading, stiff and hooked. Style shorter than the calyx tube; individual flower stalks at fruiting up to two times as long as calyx. Can be extremely difficult to tell from Wood Forget-me-not. Hairs on calyx are similar in the two species, though Field Forget-me-not seems to typically have more strongly hooked hairs towards the base of the calyx. In fruit, the calyx lobes tend to curve in towards each other, concealing the seeds, while those of Wood Forget-me-not tend to curve slightly outwards at the tips.
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Early Forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima
Native. Widespread but rather local on sandier soils on heaths and grassy banks. Flowers April to June. Plants to 25cm in height but often much less - just 2cm is typical on very dry sites. Flowers tiny, 3mm across, blue. Hairs on calyx spreading, stiff and hooked. Style shorter than the calyx tube; individual flower stalks at fruiting shorter than or as long as calyx.
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Yellow Changing Forget-me-not Myosotis discolor
Native. Widespread as a bulbfield weed and plant of short turf. Flowers late April to August. Plants to 30cm in height but often much less, especially on very dry sites. Flowers tiny, 2-4mm across, opening pale yellow and gradually changing through cream to blue as they mature. Hairs on calyx spreading, stiff and hooked. Style longer than the calyx tube; individual flower stalks at fruiting shorter than calyx. At least the upper stem leaves opposite each other.
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Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides
Native. Recorded intermittently from the larger pools on Tresco. Flowers May to September. Plants to 70cm in height in tall vegetation, or less where growing in the open. Flowers relatively large, 8-13mm across, blue or rarely white. Hairs on calyx flattened, not hooked. Style longer than the calyx tube; calyx teeth as broad at the base as they are long and forming an equilateral triangle. Lower part of stem has hairs pressed to the stem, not spreading.
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Creeping Forget-me-not Myosotis secunda
Native. A scarce species in the islands with recent records from wet ground on St Mary's and Tresco. Flowers May to August. Plants 20-60cm in height. Flowers 4-8mm across, pale blue. Hairs on calyx flattened, not hooked. Style shorter than the calyx tube; calyx teeth shorter across the base than they are long and forming an isosceles triangle. Lower part of stem has spreading hairs, not appressed and the plant produces creeping stolons at the base.
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Tufted Forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
Native. Rare, recorded from wet ground on St Mary's in 2007. Flowers May to August. Plants to 40cm in height. Flowers small, 3.5-4mm across, sky blue or rarely white. Hairs on calyx flattened, not hooked. Style shorter than the calyx tube; calyx teeth shorter across the base than they are long and forming an isosceles triangle. Lower part of stem has hairs pressed to the stem, not spreading.
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