OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Gentianales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Houstonia serpyllifolia   FAMILY Rubiaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Houstonia serpyllifolia   FAMILY Rubiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Houstonia serpyllifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Houstonia serpyllifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)

Hedyotis michauxii

SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)

Hedyotis michauxii

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 173-08-002:

Houstonia serpyllifolia   FAMILY Rubiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Houstonia serpyllifolia

 

COMMON NAME:
Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_hose2_001_lvd

        

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm060429_125

April    Clay County    NC

Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm060429_125b

April    Clay County    NC

Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District

Blue-violet with a light yellow eye, 0.4"-0.5" across, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm100422_051

April    Pickens County    SC

Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm230420_2725

April    Greenville County    SC

Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm230420_2733

April    Greenville County    SC

Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve

The opposite leaves on the horizontal and vertical stems are ovate and barely 1/10" long, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm060513_026

May    Clay County    NC

Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District

The prostrate stems have numerous roundish leaves under 1/4", per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm160503_252

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

The flowers, one per stalk, are like those of H. caerulea but richer, more medium blue in color, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm160503_253

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm190719_9939

July    Transylvania County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

Leaves are opposite, short-stalked, rounded to ovate, on creeping stems, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

JK Marlow    jkm190914_1565

September    Swain County    NC

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Houstonia serpyllifolia, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Prostrate Bluet, Marsh Bluet

Tim Spira    tpshserpyllifolia

Month Unknown        

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Houstonia serpyllifolia   FAMILY Rubiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Houstonia serpyllifolia   FAMILY Rubiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Houstonia serpyllifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Houstonia serpyllifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Hedyotis michauxii

SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Hedyotis michauxii

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 173-08-002:
Houstonia serpyllifolia   FAMILY Rubiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Houstonia serpyllifolia

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

701

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Streambanks, grassy balds, moist forests, seepy rock outcrops, spray cliffs, and moist disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in Mountains

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Margins entire

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Blue
Eye: Yellow/White
Radially symmetrical
4 sepals
4-lobed salverform corolla
4 included stamens
Bisexual

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME: