Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Southern Bluet - Houstonia micrantha   (Shinners) Terrell
Members of Rubiaceae:
Members of Houstonia with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Family Rubiaceae
Author(Shinners) Terrell
DistributionDiscovered by Brian England in 2017-18 in Wake County (fide Weakley 2018); a specimen would be very welcome. To be looked for elsewhere, as it is probably easily passed over as a white-flowered H. pusilla.

Native west of the Appalachians from TN to MO, south to northwestern FL and eastern TX. Adventive in central NC.
AbundanceVery rare.
Habitat"Roadsides and other disturbed areas." In its native range, it is found in sandy soils, around flatrocks, and other sunny and sandy places.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting February-April.
IdentificationThis tiny species is very similar to H. pusilla, but the corollas are white and 2.0-5.5 mm long (vs. corollas lavender or violet and 3.5-10 mm).
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankG4G5
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcp
USACE-emp
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AllOther_non_natural