Large Houstonia

(Houstonia purpurea)

 

   

 

Color Photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Large Houstonia (Houstonia purpurea L.)

Identification: Flowers white to light lavender. Corolla tubular with 4 sharply pointed petal lobes. Flowers in large, broad terminal clusters. Leaves broad, sessile, large, in opposite pairs with 3 distinct veins. Plant 4 to 18 inches in height.

Distribution: Iowa and Illinois in the west to Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the east. Southward to Georgia and Texas.

Habitat: Large Houstonia is found on sandy or rocky soils and in pine barrens.

Flowering period: May to June.

Similar Species: The leaves of Long-leaved Bluets are much narrower than those of this species and the flower clusters smaller. The leaves of Bluets and Thyme-leaved Bluets are much smaller than those of Large Houstonia.

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