Family: Rubiaceae
azure bluets, bluets, innocence, Quaker-ladies
Kitty Kohout
Robert W. Freckmann
Etymology: Houstonia: for Dr. William Houston, English botanist, who collected in Tropical America
Plants: erect, perennial, 2"-8" tall forb; fragile rhizomes in clumps up to 4" wide
Leaves: opposite, smooth, lower leaves on stalks about the same length as the blade, upper leaves almost stalkless
Flowers: light blue with a pale yellow center, 4-parted, 1/3"-1/2" wide, tubular with a flaring mouth, smooth throat; 1 flower per stalk, both terminal and from the upper leaf axils; blooms May-June
Fruits: flat capsule, much wider than long
Habitat: moist; prairies, meadows
Conservation Status: Special Concern
Plants: erect, perennial, 2"-8" tall forb; fragile rhizomes in clumps up to 4" wide
Leaves: opposite, smooth, lower leaves on stalks about the same length as the blade, upper leaves almost stalkless
Flowers: light blue with a pale yellow center, 4-parted, 1/3"-1/2" wide, tubular with a flaring mouth, smooth throat; 1 flower per stalk, both terminal and from the upper leaf axils; blooms May-June
Fruits: flat capsule, much wider than long
Habitat: moist; prairies, meadows
Conservation Status: Special Concern
Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 7, Wetland Indicator = FAC WIS DNR-Bureau of Endangered Resources: Detailed information on Wisconsin listed species including state and federal status, photos, etc. Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc. Dan Tenaglia's The Missouri Flora: Fabulous photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leave arrangement key. David G. Smith's "Delaware Wilflowers": Beautiful photographs; descriptions
Robert W. Freckmann
Eric J. Epstein
Botanical Illustration
