Austral Forget-me-not

Appearance

Delicate annuals to 25 cm high with one to several erect stems from an ill-defined basal rosette terminating in an inflorescence, without a distinct tap root, covered with spreading to somewhat appressed hairs sometimes varying in length and without a much broadened base; leaves densely clustered, petiolate and oblanceolate in the basal rosette, becoming scattered, sessile and lanceolate below the inflorescence, 0.8-4 x 0.4-1 cm, often with a rounded apex in the basal rosette, acute above.

Inflorescence terminal, with 1-3 or rarely more monochasia, with flowers almost sessile and densely clustered but with pedicels to 5 mm long and loosely arranged when fruiting without bracts; sepals one-third of their length connate, 1-2 mm long or to 6 mm when fruiting, with lobes linear-lanceolate, acute, at least lower parts with hooked hairs; corolla narrowly tubular, blue or white, glabrous, 2-4 mm long usually shorter than the calyx, with small saccate protrusions in the throat; lobes oblong, c. 1 mm long with a round apex; stamens inserted just below the throat of the corolla tube, with anthers sessile, linear-elliptic, c. 0.5 mm long, without appendages; ovary 4-lobed, with a style inserted near the base, c. 1.5 mm long, slender, with an insignificant terminal stigma.

Mericarps ovoid, laterally compressed, with a keeled ridge around, smooth and shiny, dark-brown.