Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_2078.JPG-07-02-2019
Flower name (scientific): Houstonia longifolia Gaertner PY: 1788. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) hoos-TOH-nee-uh lon-jee-FOH-lee-uh
Flower name (common): Long-leaf Bluets
Family name (common): Madder
Family name (scientific): Rubiaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Named to honor the Scottish surgeon and botanist William Houstoun (1695?–1733).
    Specific epithet: From the Latin for long leaves.
Common name origin: From the leaf appearance and the pale blue color of the flowers. Bluet is from the etymons French bleuet or French bluet, for blue. Flower color can also be white or sometimes pinkish.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm)
     Petal count: 4
     Color: white, pale blue, or pink.
     Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-cyme
Plant description:
     Size: 3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 cm)
     Stem hairy: glabrous or glabrate
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is basal and opposite, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to 3 cm long and 6 mm wide.
     Color: medium green
     Hairy: glabrous
     Other: Shape: leaf, lanceolate-oblong or linear-lanceolate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): June to August
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Prairies, savannas, forests, streambanks, roadsides, sun or semi-shade, dry to moist.
Fruit: Capsules about 2 to 3 mm in length.
Seed: About 1 to 1.4 mm in length.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Houstonia nigricans (Narrow-Leaved Bluets) and Houstonia canadensis (Canada Bluets) both have a resemblance to Houstonia longifolia. According to the USDA, H.canadensis has not been reported from Wisconsin or Iowa, but has been from Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. H. nigricans has not been reported from Wisconsin or Minnesota, but has been from Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude: 44.799738
Longitude: -91.506207
Altitude: 245.70
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, La Crosse, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Monroe, Oconto, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Richland, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, MB, ON, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 5 homotypic synonyms for this species.
Heterotypic Synonym(s): na
Autonym: Houstonia longifolia var. longifolia (The other infraspecifics are Houstonia longifolia var. compacta Terrell, Houstonia longifolia var. tenuifolia (Nuttall) Alphonso Wood. Both of these varieties are recorded in the US.)
Wetland Status (NC): Not listed
Wetland Status (MW): Not listed