WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK 265 



Madder Family 



R u b i a c e a e 

 Bluets; Innocence; Eyebright 

 Houstonia coerulea Linnaeus 



Plato 2ogh 



Stems erect or nearly so, smooth, perennial by slender rootstocks and 

 forming dense tufts. Lower and basal leaves spatulate or oblanceolate, 

 about one-half of an inch long or less, sometimes slightly hairy, narrowed 

 into petioles. Flowers solitary on very slender terminal and axillary stalks. 

 Corolla one-fourth to one-third of an inch long, and as broad or broader 

 when expanded, the tube pale yellow and slightly enlarged above, the limb 

 of the corolla nearly flat when expanded with four oblong or elliptic, slightly 

 pointed lobes, light blue or violet in color, the throat of the corolla yellow, 

 surrounded by a narrow white band. Calyx deeply four-parted with 

 oblong, blunt lobes, the lobes separated from one another by about their 

 width. Fruit a small capsule about one-sixth of an inch broad and broader 

 than long, compressed and divided or deeply notched at the summit, shorter 

 than the calyx. 



In open grassy places, on wet rocks or in open, rocky woods, Nova 

 Scotia to Quebec, New York and Michigan, south to Georgia, Alabama, 

 Tennessee and Missouri. It is inclined to be somewhat local in distribution, 

 but when found is apt to be present in great abundance. Flowering from 

 April to July, usually at its best in New York during the latter part of May, 

 and usually producing a few flowers through the summer. 



Long-leaved Houstonia 



Houstonia longifolia Gaertner 



Plate 194b 



A small, low, tufted perennial, smooth or somewhat pubescent, 5 to 10 

 inches high. Basal leaves spatulate or oblanceolate, blunt and short 

 petioled, but not ciliate. Stem leaves opposite, linear-oblong, usually 



