226 A GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 



692. BLUETS. QUAKER-LADIES, HOUSTONIA. 



Low herbs with basal and opposite, toothless leaves that, 

 in our species, are without a stalk, as the leaf is narrowed 

 toward the stalk-like base. Flowers solitary, or a few, in 

 open, not very fioriferous clusters. Corolla tubular, its sum- 

 mit splitting into 4 rather sharp pointed segments. Fruit a 

 dry lobed capsule. (Rubiaceae.) See also Nos. 689, 733 

 and 'z;^'/. The two below are: 



Corolla lobes spreading; flowers blue with a yellow center 



Quaker-ladies no. 693 



Corolla lobes erect ; flowers pale lavender Bluets no. 694 



693. Quaker-ladies. Honsionia coerulca. Growing in dense 

 sod-like mats, not over 6 in. high. Leaves lance-oval, nar- 

 rowed towards the base, about 5^ in. long. Flowers I or 2 to 

 a stalk, mostly blue, sometimes violet or even white, with a 

 yellow eye, the four spreading lobes cross-like. In wet mead- 

 ows, or in moist rocky banks. Nova Scotia and Quebec to 

 Georgia, and westward, mostly in the uplands. May- July. 

 Fig. 693. 



694. Bluets. Houstonia longifolia. Growing in isolated 

 clumps, and usually about 8 in. high, the plant stiff. Leaves 

 resembling those in No. 693. Flowers several in loose, ter- 

 minal clusters. Corolla tubular, its small lobes erect, not 

 cross-like, scarcely 34 i". long, pale lavender. In dry open 

 places, especially along the coast. Maine and Ontario to 

 Georgia, and westward. May-September. Fig. 694. A re- 



