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Small bluets

Also known as: tiny bluets

Houstonia pusilla Schoepf

[=Hedyotis crassifolia Raf. ]

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Small bluets
Small bluets
Small bluets
Small bluets
Small bluets
Small bluets leaf
Small bluets
Small bluets leaf
Small bluets

Morphology

Stem
Erect, ascending, or spreading, often branched at base, glabrous or pubescent.
Leaves
Opposite, primarily basal, spoon-shaped to egg-shaped, 1/10 to 2/5 inch long, 1/10 to 3/10 inch wide; margins entire, often cilate; tips pointed; petioles absent or nearly as long as blade.
Inflorescence
Solitary flowers, tiny, terminal.
Flower
Sepal lobes 4, oblong-lanceolate or braodly elliptic; corolla salverform, dark or light blue, rarely white; lobes 4, .1 to 1.5 inch long, glabrous; stamens 4.
Fruit
Capsule, 1/10 to 1/5 inch wide, glabrous; seeds few to several, spherical, pitted on one side, dark.

Ecology

Habitat
Dry prairie hillsides, pastures, open woods, stream valleys, lawns, and roadsides.
Distribution
East 1/2 of Kansas.

Additional Notes

Comments

Small bluets is easily overlooked, due to its small size.

Synonyms

Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.

Scientific Name: Hedyotis crassifolia

Full Citation: Hedyotis crassifolia Raf.

Quick Facts
Plant Type
Wildflower
Family
Rubiaceae - Madder Family
Life Span
Annual
Height
1/2-4 inches
Last Updated
2007-11-13
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Blooms: March, April, May