Myosotis

The forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae) are often small rosette herbs. There are over 40 native species of Myosotis in New Zealand, and almost all of these are endemic. (Myosotis australis is also native to Australia and Papua New Guinea.) In addition, several introduced forget-me-nots of European origin are common garden weeds in New Zealand.

Native forget-me-nots are found in a variety of habitats throughout New Zealand, including two species on subantarctic islands. Many are rare and have restricted geographic distributions. About three-quarters of our native species are threatened or at-risk.

The genus Myosotis comprises about 100 species worldwide, with New Zealand and Europe being the two main centres of species diversity.