Houstonia caerulea L.

Common Bluet; Quaker Ladies; Innocence

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Common Bluet is a native herbaceous perennial in the Madder family (Rubiaceae). It can be found throughout most of Alabama, but is most common in the northern half of the state. Common Bluet grows in open forests, on roadsides, on rock outcrops, and in disturbed habitats. It is a perennial with a taproot. Plants form a rosette of basal leaves with several flowering stems from 3-6 inches in height. The stems are green, 4-angled, and glabrous. Basal leaves are elliptic or oblanceolate in outline, glabrous, with entire margins. Stem leaves are opposite, linear-elliptic in outline, glabrous, sessile, and entire. Flowers are produced singly on long peduncles. The corolla consists of a short tube with four spreading lobes. Flowers are pale blue, violet, or rarely white in color. The center of the flower is bright yellow. Two types of flowers are produced: those with long stamens and a short style, and those with short stamens and a long style. The fruit is a capsule.—A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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