306 LXXHU. RUBIACE.  SPERMACOCE. 
§ Corolla hypocrateriform, with a long tube, limb glabrous. Peduncles, 
1-flowered. Housronta. inn, 
1. H. c@ruiea. Hook. (Hous. cerulea. Linn.) Dwarf Pink. Innocence. 
Radical lvs. ovate-spatulate, petiolate; sts. erect, numerous, dichotomous ; 
ped. filiform, 1—2-flowered.—An elegant little plant, found in moist grounds, 
fields and road-sides, Can. and U.S. Its blossoms appear early, and are usu- 
ally found in patches of considerable extent, covering the surface of the ground 
with a c@rulean hue. The cauline leaves are small, opposite, lance-ovate. 
Stems very slender, forked, 3—5’ high, each branch bearing a flower. Corolla 
pale blue, yellowish at the centre. May—Aug. 
2. H. minima. T. & G. (Houstonia. Beck.) 
Glabrous, simple or riser peanc | branching ; Jvs. linear-spatulate, much 
attenuated to the base ; ped. axillary and terminal, often longer than the leaves; 
sds. 10—15 in each cell, oval, smooth, concave on the face.—Prairies, &c., Mo.! 
Tenn.! to La. Very small and delicate, 1—3’ high. Leaves about 5” by 1”. 
Flowers rose-color. Mar.—May. 
§ § Corolla infundibuliform, often hairy inside. Flowers in terminal 
racemes. AmpuiotTis. DC 
3. H. crniotata. Torr. (Hous. Canadensis. Muhl.) Clustered Dwarf Pink. 
Radical lvs. ovate, obtuse, narrow atthe base, ciliate on the margin; cau- 
line ones ovate-spatulate, sessile; corymbs terminal, pedicellate; ped. tricho- 
tomous ; divisions of the calyx \ance-linear.—Banks of lakes and rivers, Onta- 
rio! Niagara! W. to Ohio. A little plant, stouter than the last. Root-leaves 
numerous, stem-leaves few. Stems smooth, 4-angled, branched above, and 
bearing a corymbose cluster of numerous pale purple flowers. Calyx half-ad- 
herent, its lobes about half as long as the tube of the corolla. May—July. 
4, H. toneirouia. Hook. (Houstonia longif. Gaert.) Long-leaved Dwarf 
Pink.—Radical lws. oval-elliptic, narrowed to each end; cauline linear or 
lance-linear, 1-veined ; fis. in small, paniculate cymes.—2, Dry hills, N. and 
Mid. States! to Ark. and Flor. Much more slender than the next, Stems 
erect, 5—12’ high, 4-angled, smooth or ciliolate on the angles. Leaves 9—15’’ 
by 2—3”, cauline sessile, rather acute at each end, all smooth. Flowers 2.or3 
together, on very short pedicels, pale-purple, with deeper-colored strie in the 
throat. Jn. Jl. 
B.% (H. tenuifolia. Nutt.). St. very branching; lvs. very narrow; ped. fili- 
form; fis. smaller. 
5. H. purpurea. Torr: & Gray. (Houstonia. Linn.) 
St. ascending, clustered, branching, 4-angled; dvs. ovate-lanceolate, 3—5- 
veined, closely sessile; cymes 3—7-flowered, often clustered; calyx segments 
lance-linear, longer than the capsule.—Mid. and W. States! in woods and on 
river banks. A very delicate flowerer, about 1f high. Leaves 1—2’ long, 3 as 
-wide. Corolla(purple, T. ¢- G.) white, scarcely tinged with purple. May—Jl. 
§§ § Corolla rotate, tube very short. Seeds 50—60in each cell. Flowers 
mostly glomerate in the axils of the leaves. ELatineLua. Torr. & Gray. 
6. H. cLomerara.. Creeping Green-head. 
St. assurgent, branching; lvs. oblong-lanceolate, pubescent, narrowed at. 
the base into a short petiole or sessile; fs. glomerate in the axils and terminal. 
A plant varying in size from 1—2’ to as many feet, found in swamps, &c., N. 
Y. to La. Leaves }’ in length, apparently connate from the stipules adhering 
to each side of the petiole. Stipules 2-cleft into narrow subulate divisions. 
Calyx in 4 deep, leafy divisions which are much longer than the white, rotate 
corolla. Stamens scarcely exserted. Style veryshort. Capsule opening cross- 
wise. Jn.—Sept. 
4. SPERMACOCE. 
Gr. omeppa, seed, axwxn, a point; alluding to the pointed seeds. 
Calyx tube ovoid, limb 2—4-parted; corolla tubular, limb spread- 
ing, 4-lobed; stamens 4; stigma 2-cleft ; fruit dry, 2-celled, crowned 
