Myosotis arvensis

(L.) Hill

Field forget-me-not

Boraginaceae Edible: Leaves, Flowers 22,073 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Myosotis arvensis or field forget-me-not is a herbaceous annual to short lived perennial flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. It is native to Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus, Siberia, the western Himalayas, and northwestern Africa. The plant is annual to perennial, erect, to 40 centimetres (16 in) and patent-hairy (hairs more-or-less at right-angles to the stem). The flowers are grey-blue, 3–5 millimetres (1⁄8–13⁄64 in) across, saucer shaped in profile, the sepal tube with hooked hairs. The mature fruits are dark brown, shiny nutlets. In the British Isles the plant is an archaeophyte, common throughout the isles on open, well-drained ground. Two subspecies and one variety are accepted. Myosotis arvensis subsp. arvensis – Europe to Siberia, Turkey, the Caucasus, Western Himalayas, and northwestern Africa Myosotis arvensis var. garciasii O.Bolòs & Vigo – Balearic Islands Myosotis arvensis subsp. umbrata (Rouy) O.Schwartz – western and southern Europe from Norway to Italy, Portugal, the British Isles, and Iceland, and Romania

Description

A herb. It grows 10-40 cm tall. It can grow each year from seed or grow for 2 years. The leaves are at the base. The leaf stalk has wide wings. The leaves on the stalk are alternate and without stalks. It is like Myosotis sylvatica but with smaller flowers. The flowers are small and blue. They are 3-4 mm across.

Edible Uses

The young leaves are cooked in butter with other mixed leaves, and the small blue flowers are eaten fresh or added to salads.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves are eaten. They are used in a mixtures of many different leaves cooked in butter. The flowers are eaten or added to salads.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. Tasmania Herbarium.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Falklands, Italy, Lithuania, Mediterranean, New Zealand, North America, Pakistan, Taiwan, Tasmania, USA,

Cultivation

Plants grow from seed. Seed can remain dormant in the soil for 30 years.

Notes

There are 50-100 Myosotis species. They are temperate.

Synonyms

Echioides annua MoenchMyosotis intermedia Link.Myosotis scorpioides var. arvensis L.Scorpioides hirsutus Gilib.

References (6)

Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 51
Paoletti, M.G., Dreon, A.L., and Lorenzoni, G.G., 1995, Pistic, Traditional Food from Western Friuli, NE Italy. Economic Botany 49(1) pp 26-30
Tasmanian Herbarium Vascular Plants list p 16
Upson, R., & Lewis R., 2014, Updated Vascular Plant Checklist and Atlas for the Falkland Islands. Falklands Conservation and Kew.
Veg. syst. 7:55. 1764

Show all 6 references