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Wood Forget-me-not - Myosotis sylvatica
Family - Boraginaceae

A perennial (occasionally biennial) with a straggly branched stem structure growing to about 50cm (20in) from a basal cluster of large long stalked elliptical or lanceolate leaves. The whole plant is softly hairy, stem leaves are sessile target="botanical" title="Botanical description for Lanceolate">lanceolate to ovate. Five petaled flat mid-blue flowers 6-10mm (0.15-0.4in) in diameter in clusters with a white or orange center, the stamens are concealed in a tubular structure in the center of the flower. The flowers mature to a brown 4-chambered nut. An invasive of grassed areas, gardens, open damp woods, waste ground and roadsides, it spreads readily by seed, usually in flower from April - July and is locally common. Wood Forget-me-not is a member of the genus Myosotis with about 50 species, it is found over most of Europe and occasionally as a Garden escape, especially plants with Purple, White or Orange flowers. Closely related and superficially similar to the Field Forget-me-not that has smaller flowers. An introduced alien in the United States, Australasia and many temperate countries, it is the state flower of Alaska.

Many legends surround the name "Forget-me-not" from medieval knights to modern romances, regarded as a flower of romance and lovers fate, oft worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love. It was worn as an identifier by German Freemasons during the Second World War when such groups were rigidly persecuted.

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