FIELD FORGET-ME-NOT

Myosotis arvensis

Borage Family [Boraginaceae]

month8apr month8april month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept month8oct

status
statusZarchaeophyte
flower
flower8bicolour
flower
flower8azure
flower
flower8yellow
inner
inner8yellow
inner
inner8white
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
type
typeZspiked
stem
stem8round

18th May 2010, Parsley Hey Incline, Cromford, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
Variable in height, from 15 to 50cm. Grows in disturbed soils such as arable fields, dunes or dry ground and beside woods. Very common. The patch in the foreground are shown on this page.


30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
Another patch.


18th May 2010, Parsley Hey Incline, Cromford, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
Flowers up to 3mm across (except var. sylvestris shown at bottom which are 5mm across).


18th May 2010, Parsley Hey Incline, Cromford, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
More greyish-green than is Wood Forget-me-Not. Hairs on lower stem erect, hairs on upper stem tightly appressed to the stem.


30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
In fruit the sepals are nipped closed thus hiding the fruit from view (the fruits are exposed in Wood Forget-me-Not).


30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
The flowers are saucer-shaped, with each petal angled slightly at an upwards angle because the corolla tube is shorter than the calyx. Fruiting calyx has closed on lowest. Petals azure blue (some may be pink) with a yellow annular fornice (which not all Forget-me-nots possess - and has 5 sections, each slightly dumbelled) and 5 white raised radial spokes called appendages.


30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
Calyx teeth pushing into the petals at the rear angling them slightly upwards.


18th May 2010, Parsley Hey Incline, Cromford, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
Hairs on upper stems are appressed close to the stem.


30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
Some hairs on the calyx are curved and hooked at the end.


30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks. Photo: © RWD
Leaves just below branch axils and stalkless.



Myosotis arvensis - pink form

25th April 2004, Sandown, IoW Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Pink Form.





Myosotis arvensis var. sylvatica

(Similar to Wood Forget-me-Not)

23rd June 2015, Moore Reserve, M/cr Ship Canal, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
The variety sylvatica is much more similar to Wood Forget-me-Not than is Field Forget-me-not itself. Rather than all hairs being erect (as they are supposed to be on Wood Forget-me-Not) they are appressed like they are on Field Forget-me-not.


23rd June 2015, Moore Reserve, M/cr Ship Canal, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Both Wood and Field Forget-me-nots have (some) curved hooked hairs on the calyx.


23rd June 2015, Moore Reserve, M/cr Ship Canal, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Hooked hairs on calyx.


23rd June 2015, Moore Reserve, M/cr Ship Canal, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Both Wood and Field Forget-me-nots have azure flowers (some pink) with a yellow annular fornice (which not all Forget-me-nots possess) and 5 white raised radial spokes called appendages.


Not to be semantically confused with : Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis), Field Woundwort (Stachys arvensis), Field Eryngo (Eryngium campestre), Field Gentian (Gentianella campestris), Field Wormwood (Artemisia campestris), Field Cow-Wheat (Melampyrum arvense), Field Garlic (Allium oleraceum) or all manner of other plants with 'Field' in their common name or arvensis as their specific epithet.

Easily mistaken for : Wood Forget-me-Not (Myosotis sylvatica).


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
Holly Blue



  Myosotis arvensis  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Boraginaceae  

Distribution
 family8Borage family8Boraginaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Myosotis
Myosotis
(Forget-me-Nots)

FIELD FORGET-ME-NOT

Myosotis arvensis

Borage Family [Boraginaceae]