Myporineae
A natural order of erect or diffuse shrubs, rarely trees or sub-shrubs, natives, for the most part, of Australia, a few dispersed through the Southern islands from Mauritius as far as the Sandwich Islands, two in South Africa, two in the states of Japan or China, and one in the West Indies. Flowers axillary, solitary or fasciculate, sub-sessile or pedicellate. Leaves alternate, scattered, or rarely opposite, entire or rarely dentate, undivided, exstipulate. The order comprises five genera and about eighty species. Illustrative genera are: Myoporum and Oftia.
MYOPORUM (from myo, to shut, and poros, a pore, or opening; referring to the transparent spots on the leaves). SYNS. Andreusia, Pogonia (of Andrews). ORD. Myoporineae. This genus comprises about twenty species of erect, tall, or diffuse, greenhouse shrubs, rarely subshrubs, inhabiting Australia, New Zealand, the Mascarene Islands, the Malayan Archipelago, the islands of the Pacific, China, and Japan. Flowers often white, small or medium; corolla tube very short or cylindrical, sub-campanulate or funnel-shaped; pedicles axillary, often fasciculate. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, entire or dentate. The species thrive in a compost of loam and peat, with a small quantity of sand added. Propagated by cuttings of the young shoots, taken during April, and inserted in sand, under a bell glass. The species are rarely seen in cultivation. All those described below are natives of Australia. M. acuminatum (acuminate). fl. white; corolla almost campanulate, more or less bearded inside. March. l. alternate, varying from elliptic-oblong to lanceolate or linear. h. 3ft. 1812.
M. debile (weak). fl. pink or purplish. June. l. alternate, shortly petiolate or nearly sessile, elliptic, oblong, or lanceolate, entire or toothed. h. 1 1/2ft. 1793.
M. parvifolium (small-leaved). fl. white, solitary, or two or three together. June. l. scattered, rather crowded, linear or linear-spathulate, sometimes under 1/2in. long. h. 3ft. 1803. (B. M. 1693.) M. serratum (saw-toothed). fl. white and purple, several in each axil. May. l. generally elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, obtuse or acute, and more or less serrate, but in some maritime species nearly all entire. h. 2ft. The leaves and flowers of this species are very variable.
MYOSOTIDIUM (from Myosotis, and eidos, resembling; flowers like those of Myosotis). ORD. Boragineae. A monotypic genus, the species being a very handsome hardy, or nearly hardy, herbaceous perennial, resembling a gigantic Forget-me-not. This plant is very difficult to cultivate; it is most impatient of root disturbance, and seems to do best in a cool, damp, sheltered spot outdoors.
M. nobile (noble). fl. white, with blue centres, about 1/2in. across, disposed in very large and dense racemes; corolla salver-shaped, with a very short tube. Spring. l. large, fleshy, glabrous, shining, plicate. h. 1 1/2ft. Chatham Islands, 1858. (B. M. 5137.) MYOSOTIS (the Greek name used by Dioscorides, and derived from mys, myos, a mouse, and ous, otos, an ear; supposed resemblance in leaves). Forget-me-not. ORD. Boragineae. A rather large genus (more than forty species have been described by various authors) of very pretty and elegant hardy annuals or perennials, natives of North and South temperate regions, most common in Europe and Australia. Flowers blue, pink, or white, in terminal scorpioid cymes, bracteate or not. Radical leaves stalked, cauline ones sessile, linear-oblong. The species are of very easy culture in moist and shady places. All are propagated by seeds, sown in spring, on a warm sunny border. The perennials may also be increased by divisions of the roots, in spring; or by cuttings, placed under a hand light, in a shady spot, in summer. M. alpestris (alpine).* fl. blue, with a very small yellowish eye, fragrant in the evening. Summer. l. lanceolate or oblong-linear, acutish, obsoletely three-nerved, strigose. Stems tufted, erect, beset with adpressed hairs, simple at bottom, but divided at top into short racemes. h. 2in. to 3in. Mountains of Europe (Britain). Perennial. According to some authorities, this is but a form of M. sylvatica, with larger flowers. SYN. M. rupicola.(Sy. En. B. 1106.) M. azorica (Azorean).* fl. purple, eventually blue, without a yellow eye, about 1/2in. across, disposed in dense bractless racemes. Summer. l. hairy, upper ones oblong-obtuse, lower ones oblong-spathulate. h. 6in. to 10in. Azores, 1846. An elegant but somewhat tender perennial, with a habit similar to M. alpestris, but the flowers are larger, and the fruiting racemes lengthen considerably. (B. M. 4122.) There is a white-flowered form, alba. The garden form of this species known as IMPERATRICE ELIZABETH forms a branching bush about 6in. in height, and, when covered with its numerous heads of bluish-purple flowers, is a gem for pots or shady nooks in the rockery. M. dissitiflora (distant-flowered).* fl. deep sky-blue, large, numerous. Very early spring. l. oblong-lanceolate, gradually pointed. h. 6in. to 12in. Switzerland, 1868. Perennial. A handsome species, closely allied to M. sylvatica, but differing in its shorter, more adpressed pubescence, brighter green leaves, and relatively longer pedicels, which curve upwards and inwards when in fruit. The most distinctive character, however, which separates M. dissitiflora and M. sylvatica resides in the nutlets (the so-called seeds), which are stalked in the former and stalkless in the latter. M. d. elegantissima (very elegant). A pretty variety, with white-edged leaves. M. macrophylla. See Anchusa myosotidiflora.
M. obtusum. See Anchusa Barrelieri.
M. palustris (marsh).* True Forget-me-not. fl. blue, with a yellow throat; racemes simple or conjugate, bractless. Spring. l. oblong or spathulate, upper ones slightly decurrent, all bright glossy green. Stems creeping at the base, clothed with adpressed hairs. h. 6in. to 12in. Europe, &c. (Britain). A well-known and very lovely native perennial. (Sy. En. B. 1104.) M. rupicola (rock-loving). A synonym of M. alpestris. M. suaveolens (sweet-scented). fl. white or bluish, in simple or branched racemes, at first dense, at length several inches long; the pedicles short. l. oblong-linear or lanceolate, mostly acute, sessile, and broad at the base, or contracted into a short petiole, often decurrent; the lower ones sometimes 3in. to 4in. long, the upper ones small. Australia. An erect, but sometimes weak perennial.
M. sylvatica (wood).* fl. blue, with a yellow throat; racemes solitary and conjugate, very long, loose, bractless; pedicels much longer than the calyx. Spring. l. oblong-lanceolate, bluntish, clothed with soft hairs. Stems simple, divided at top into long loose racemes, hairy. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe, &c. (Britain). A handsome biennial or perennial species, of which there are numerous varieties. (Sy. En. B. 1107.) M. virginica. See Echinospermum virginicum.