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Mysotis alpestris [Alpine Forget-Me-Not] in prep


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Rørslett, B. 2015. Myosotis alpestris F.W.Scmidt (Boraginaceae) Alpine Forget-Me-Not. Flowers photographed in ultraviolet and visible light. https://www.ultravio...-forget-me-not/

 

... in preparation ...

 

An alpine member of the Forget-Me-Not genus with a wide circum-boreal distribution. In Europe it is found in the Continental Alps and eastwards to Balkan, with isolated outposts in Northern England and Scotland. It is not native to the Nordic countries, but sometimes found as a garden refugee. It occurs on rich and often quite dry meadows in association with Helianthemum spp. and other dwarf shrubs.

 

Myosotis alpestris is closely related to M. sylvatica, which is a lowland species. It differs by having slightly larger, delicately scented cerulean blue flowers, and the fruiting pedicel is about as long as the calyx. As the fragrance is most marked in the late afternoon, one might speculate that pollination occurs during night.

 

Material photographed in Durmitor National Park, Montenegro, 20 June 2014, at an altitude of approx. 1700 m a.s.l. Persistent strong winds made shooting conditions far from ideal. We were far away from any studio into which material could be brought, so I had to make do with these overview shots.

 

MYOS_ALP_G1406200692_VIS.jpg

Image reference: MYOS_ALP_G1406200692_VIS

Visible light: Nikon Df, Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 125 mm f/2.5, daylight.

 

MYOS_ALP_G1406201650_UV.jpg

Image reference: MYOS_ALP_G1406201650_UV

Ultraviolet light: Nikon D3200, Coastal Optics 60 mm f/4 APO lens, built-in Baader U2" (Venus filter), SB-140 flash.

 

The UV capture indicate that the corollas have irregular patches of conical cells. However, in contrast to M. sylvatica (http://www.ultraviol...-forget-me-not/), there apparently is no UV-visible ageing effects of the flowers as the cyme expands.

 

[ Published 25 April 2015 ]

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