Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Gentianales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Houstonia micrantha
FAMILY
Rubiaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Southern Bluet at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Houstonia micrantha
FAMILY
Rubiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Houstonia micrantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Houstonia micrantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH The Genera of Cinchonoideae (Rubiaceae) in the southeastern US (Rogers, 1987)
Hedyotis australis
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Houstonia pusilla
COMMON NAME:
Southern Bluet
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Gill Newberry gn030323_hmicrantha_1405
March Spartanburg County SC
Peter's Creek Heritage Preserve
)
Gill Newberry gn030323_hmicrantha_1409
March Spartanburg County SC
Peter's Creek Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm110316_012
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm160311_140
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm160311_142
March Greenville County SC
Corollas white, 2.0-5.5mm long (vs. H. pusilla, purple or violet, 3.5-10+mm, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
JK Marlow jkm160311_144
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm160311_151
March Greenville County SC
Calyx lobes slightly shorter than to slightly longer than the corolla tube, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
JK Marlow jkm170324_214
March Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
)
JK Marlow jkm170406_453
March Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Leaves opposite, with at most a few short-lived basal leaves, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
)
JK Marlow jkm200315_3191
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm200315_3194
March Greenville County SC
H. micrantha's small white flowers mixed with the larger blue H. pusilla.
)
JK Marlow jkm200315_3197
March Greenville County SC
Again, H. micrantha's small white flowers mixed with the larger blue H. pusilla.
)
JK Marlow jkm200315_3204
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm230325_2013
March Pickens County SC
Capsules of Houstonia spp. are 2-locular, slightly flattened, lower half enclosed by calyx tube, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Houstonia micrantha
FAMILY
Rubiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Houstonia micrantha
FAMILY
Rubiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Houstonia micrantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Houstonia micrantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH
The Genera of Cinchonoideae (Rubiaceae) in the southeastern US (Rogers, 1987)
Hedyotis australis
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Houstonia pusilla
2962
Forb
Annual
Habitat: dunes, sandy soils, granitic flatrocks, other glades, disturbed areas, roadsides, per Weakley's Flora
Native west of the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite, with at most a few short-lived basal leaves
Margins entire
FLOWER:
Spring
Purple/Violet
(rarely white)
Radially symmetrical
4 sepals
4-lobed salverform corolla
4 included stamens
Bisexual
Flowers solitary, terminal
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".