Spring Scorpion Grass - Myosotis verna

My first thought upon seeing it was that it was Early Saxifrage - Micranthes virginiensis - as the flowers look quite a bit like that species. However, that plant has leaves that form a basal rosette. This one clearly has no such basal rosette.

It was photographed in rocky woods that have a lot of exposed sandstone. I wouldn't call the area a glade but two glade friendly plants - Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens) and Glade Stonecrop (Sedum pulchellum) - can be common on these trails.

I think this is most likely Spring Scorpion Grass - Myosotis verna. This species is found in dry, open woods, roadsides, dry fields, and disturbed areas per Weakley's Flora. Also according to Weakley's, the fruiting pedicels are more or less erect. Flowers are white and less than 1/8 inch wide; calyx irregular with some of its hairs hooked at the end, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains. The calyx is irregular with some of its hairs hooked at the end, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.

Leaves oblong or narrowly elliptic, mostly 1-5cm long, 2-10mm wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.

This species is very similar to Myosotis macrosperma (Big-Seeded Scorpion Grass); sometimes they are considered different varieties of the same species. According to Mohlenbrock (2002), Spring Scorpion Grass has fruits with more erect pedicels and smaller seeds than Big-Fruited Scorpion Grass. Also M. macrosperma is found in bottomland forests and alluvial fields, probably associated with nutrient-rich soils, per Weakley's Flora.

www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/spr_scorpion...
www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/myosotisvern.html
www.southeasternflora.com/view_flora.asp?plantid=1555
www.namethatplant.net/plantdetail.shtml?plant=3316
www.namethatplant.net/plantdetail.shtml?plant=3443

Taken in: United States / Alabama / Madison / Stone Ridge (show map)

Taken on: April 26, 2014

Sets appears in: • Rainbow Mountain, Madison, Alabama • Plants

Groups appears in: • Wildflowers of the Appalachians • Wildflowers of North Alabama - Tennessee Valley more » • Wildflowers of Eastern North America « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot A620, f/4.1, 1/60 sec, 29.2mm (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot A620
Aperture:	f/4.1
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	29.2mm
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Fired
Exposure Mode:	Auto
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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