346 PLANTS OF NE\Y ZEALAND 



Boraginaceae. 



The Borage Family. 



Distribution.— A large family, found chiefly in temperate regions. It is 

 represented m New Zealand by three genera only. The rough, bristly leaves 

 were considered by Linneeus to be so characteristic of the family, as to allow of 

 bis giving to it the name of Asperifolia or Rough-leaved Plants. The economic uses 

 of the family are unimportant, but the flowers of many of the species are of a 

 most beautiful blue colour. Myosotis pahtstris. the Water Forget-me-not, is one 

 of the best known plants of the order. 



Keji to the Genera. 



Nuts larK'e. M^-osotidiuin, ]i. 347. 



Nuts ininnte. M>'OSotiK, 71.346. 



Genus Myosotis. 



About 30 species in all. Herbs, arniual or perennial. Root-leaves stalked : 

 stem-leaves sessile. Flowers in racemes. Caly.x .5-lobed ; corolla .5-lobed ; mouth 

 partly closed by .5 small scales. Nuts shining. 4 sp. 



The genus E.rarrJicna, formerly considered distinct, is now 

 included in Mj/u.'iotis. Tlie forget-me-nots of New Zealand 

 are little likely to give rise to sucli a wealth of romance and 

 poetry, as that which clusters abdut the European species. 

 Myosotis capitata, best known from the Auckland Islands, is 

 the only one of a deep blue colour, and even a white form of it 

 is known. M. aitstralis and AI. uiiijiora have, strange to say, 

 yellow flowers. Those of M. macrantlia are purple or white. 

 Tlie flowers of tlie remaining species are generally insignificant 

 and without any depth of colouring. 



Myosotis spathulata {The. Spathulate-leaved Myosotis). 



A weak, prostrate herb. Leaves i in. long, slightly rough. Flow^ers Jin. 

 across, solitary, white, with a yellow eye. Both islands : in stony places. 



Myosotis capitata {The Capitate Myosotis). 



A robust plant, G in. -18 in. high. Leaves softly hairy, with broad petioles. 

 Flowers in dense racemes, blue or purple, J in. long. South Island ; Otago. 

 Auckland Islands. The specific name has reference to the fact that the 

 flowers are crowded together, so as almost to form heads like those of the 

 Composites, 



