Myosotis scorpioides

Myosotis scorpioides (syn. Myosotis palustris),^[3] the true forget-me-not or water forget-me-not, is a forget-me-not plant species in the borage family, Boraginaceae.

Myosotis scorpioides
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Boraginales
Family:	Boraginaceae
Genus:	Myosotis
Species:	M. scorpioides
Binomial name
Myosotis scorpioides L.
Synonyms[2]
List Echioides palustris Moench Echioides perennis Moench Myosotis adpressa Stokes Myosotis aspera Lamotte Myosotis coronaria Dumort. Myosotis dumortieri Thielens Myosotis geniculata Schur Myosotis laxiflora Rchb. Myosotis multiflora Mérat Myosotis oraria Dumort. Myosotis palustris (L.) Hill Myosotis palustris subsp. eupalustris Hyl. Myosotis palustris var. subglabrata Polozhij Myosotis perennis Moench Myosotis scabra Simonk. Myosotis scorpioides var. palustris L. Myosotis scorpioides subsp. palustris (L.) F.Herm. Myosotis scorpiurus Reichard Myosotis serotina Hülph. Myosotis strigulosa Rchb. Scorpioides glaber Gilib.

Distribution and habitat

This herbaceous perennial plant is native to Europe and Asia, but is widely distributed elsewhere, including much of North America, as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. The plant is common and widespread in Britain, however is very rare in Jersey.^[4]: 596

The plant is usually found in damp or wet habitats, such as bogs, ponds, streams, ditches, fen and rivers.^[5] Whilst it favours wet ground, it can survive submerged in water, and often can form floating rafts.^[5]

Description

It is an erect to ascending plant of up to 70 cm (28 in), bearing small (8–12 mm) flowers pink in bud, becoming blue when fully open, with yellow centers and white honey guides. The plant is distinguished by its long style. The leaves are oblong to linear and pubescent on both sides. It blooms from mid-spring to first frost in temperate climates.^[6][4]

Myosotis scorpioides is also known as water scorpion grass due to the spiraling curve of its inflorescence in the form of a scorpioid cyme. Its corolla is tubular, nectar collected at the base is sucked by pollinating animals like insects and small birds.^{[7][page needed]}

Historical and cultural impact

According to an old European legend, the flower got its name from an incident where a knight and his betrothed were walking along the water when they spotted the flowers. The lady expressed her wish to have one of the beautiful flowers and the knight went to carry out his beloved's wish. But as the knight reached for them, he fell into the water. He grasped at the flowers growing along the water's edge and as he drowned he called out "Forget me not!"^[8] The flower is the province flower of Dalsland since 1908.

Gallery

• 
  Whole plant
• 
  Flowers
• 
  Leaves
• 
  Plate 487 from Thomé's Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz (1885)
• 
  Anna Munthe-Norstedt, Still life with irises and forget-me-nots (1922)
• 
  Water Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis scorpioides) in Pennsylvania
• 
  Detail from Cranach the Elder's Girl with forget-me-nots