Contains 8 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Based on available data, Stenaria is not amply distinct from Houstonia (Church 2003; Groeninckx et al. 2009; Shanks 2015; Neupane et al. 2017: Appendix S5), differing from previous circumscriptions (Terrell 1996, 2001).
Classification
Citation
HOUSTONIA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 105. 1753.
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TYPE: Houstonia caerulea Linnaeus Lectotypified by Standley, in Britton, N. Amer. Fl. 32: 24. 1918.
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houstonia caerulea | Quaker Ladies, Innocence, Common Bluet | |||
| Houstonia longifolia var. compacta | Eastern Longleaf Bluet | |||
| Houstonia longifolia var. glabra | Granite Dome Bluet | |||
| Houstonia procumbens | Creeping Bluet, Fairy-footprints, Roundleaf Bluet | |||
| Houstonia purpurea | Summer Bluet | |||
| Houstonia pusilla | Tiny Bluet | |||
| Houstonia serpyllifolia | Appalachian Bluet, Thyme-leaf Bluet | |||
| Houstonia tenuifolia | Diffuse-branched Bluet |
Identification Key
1. Leaf blade 0.2-2(8) mm wide, 10-40 times longer than wide; seeds not crateriform (at most with a shallow indistinct depression)
2
1. Leaf blade 2-20 mm wide (at least larger ones), 1.5-15 times longer than wide; seeds crateriform with an obvious ventral depression or cavity
3
2. Corolla 3-5(6) mm long; capsule subglobose, 1.2-2.5 mm long, 1-1.3 times longer than wide
2. Corolla (2.5)3-8 mm long; capsule turbinate, 1.5-4.5 mm long, 1.3-2 times longer than wide
3. Leaves 2-15 mm long
4
3. Leaves 15-45 mm long (at least larger ones)
6
4. Perennial; stems prostrate, sometimes rooting at nodes, internodes usually >4 per stem
4. Annual; stems erect to spreading, not rooting at nodes, internodes 2-5 per stem
5
5. Calyx lobes 0.8-1.2 times as long as corolla tube; corolla white, 2-5.5 mm long, the tube 0.8-2.5 mm long
5. Calyx lobes 0.2-1.2 times as long as corolla tube; corolla purple, violet, pink, to white, 3.5-10(12.5) mm long, the tube 2-5.5 mm long
6. Lower or median cauline leaves 0.3-8.5 mm wide, linear to elliptic
6. Basal or median cauline leaves 3-35(45) mm wide, ovate to narrowly lanceolate
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| No synonyms found. | |||