Houstonia pusilla

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens from wild populations. Cultivated occurrences are not mapped. View county names by placing the cursor over the map.

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Family:	RUBIACEAE
Species:	Houstonia pusilla Schoepf
Common Name:	TINY BLUET
Status:	Native, FACU (NWPL)
Specimen:	View details of USF Herbarium specimens

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Division
Class
Sub Class
Order	GENTIANALES
Family	RUBIACEAE
Genus	Houstonia
Species	Houstonia pusilla Schoepf - TINY BLUET

Citation

Citation	HOUSTONIA PUSILLA Schoepf, Reise Nordamer. Staat. 2: 306. 1788.
Basionym:	**
Type:	SOUTH CAROLINA: Charleston Co.: James Island near Charleston, s.d., Schoepf s.n. (holotype: M).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Source

County	Herbaria	Literature Citation (If Applicable)
Bay	FLAS
Calhoun	USF
Escambia	USF
Franklin	FLAS
Gadsden	USF
Gulf	USF
Holmes	FSU
Jackson	USF
Jefferson	FSU
Leon	USF
Liberty	FLAS
Madison	FSU
Okaloosa	USF
Santa Rosa	FLAS
Wakulla	FSU
Walton	USF
Washington	FSU

Synonyms

– Denotes synonyms that are applicable to the state. Show these synonyms only

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Hedyotis caerulea var. minor	Hedyotis caerulea (Linnaeus) Hooker, var. minor (Michaux) Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 2: 38. 1841.	BASIONYM: Houstonia linnaei Michaux, var. minor Michaux 1803.
Hedyotis crassifolia	Hedyotis crassifolia Rafinesque, Rafinesque, Fl. Ludov. 77. 1817.		TYPE: LOUISIANA:
Houstonia caerulea var. minor	Houstonia caerulea Linnaeus, var. minor (Michaux) Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 106. 1814.	BASIONYM: Houstonia linnaei Michaux, var. minor Michaux 1803.
Houstonia linnaei var. minor	Houstonia linnaei Michaux, var. minor Michaux, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 85. 1803.		TYPE: "Virginia ad Floridam", without data, Michaux s.n. (holotype: P).
Houstonia minor	Houstonia minor (Michaux) Britton, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 302. 1894.	BASIONYM: Houstonia linnaei Michaux, var. minor Michaux 1803.
Houstonia patens	Houstonia patens Elliott, Sketch Bot. S. Carolina 1: 191. 1816.		TYPE: SOUTH CAROLINA: Without data, Elliott s.n. (lectotype: CHARL). Lectotypified by Terrell, Syst. Bot. Monogr. 48: 33. 1996.
Oldenlandia caerulea var. patens	Oldenlandia caerulea (Linnaeus) A. Gray, var. patens (Elliott) M. Gómez de la Maza y Jiménez, Anales Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 23: 287. 1894.	BASIONYM: Houstonia patens Elliott 1816.
Oldenlandia patens	Oldenlandia patens (Elliott) Chapman, Fl. South. U.S., ed. 2. 625. 1883.	BASIONYM: Houstonia patens Elliott 1816.
Hedyotis caerulea forma benkei	Hedyotis caerulea (Linnaeus) Hooker, forma benkei Fosberg, Castanea 19: 31. 1954.	BASIONYM: Houstonia pusilla Schoepf, forma albiflora Standley 1932.
Hedyotis caerulea var. minima	Hedyotis caerulea (Linnaeus) Hooker, var. minima (L. C. Beck) Fosberg, Castanea 19: 31. 1954.	BASIONYM: Houstonia minima L. C. Beck 1826.
Hedyotis crassifolia forma albiflora	Hedyotis crassifolia Rafinesque, forma albiflora (Standley) W. H. Lewis, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 55: 32. 1968.	BASIONYM: Houstonia pusilla Schoepf, forma albiflora Standley 1932.
Hedyotis geniculata	Hedyotis geniculata Rafinesque, New Fl. 2: 21. 1837 ("1836").		TYPE: KENTUCKY:
Hedyotis minima	Hedyotis minima (L. C. Beck) Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 2: 38. 1841.	BASIONYM: Houstonia minima L. C. Beck 1826.
Hedyotis minima forma albiflora	Hedyotis minima (L. C. Beck) Torrey & A. Gray, forma albiflora Lathrop, Rhodora 59: 95. 1957.		TYPE: KANSAS: Woodson Co.: T25S, R15E, Sec. 32, 6 Apr 1955, Lathrop & McGregor 35 (holotype: KANU; isotype: KANU).
Houstonia geniculata	Houstonia geniculata Rafinesque, New Fl. 4: 102. 1838 ("1836").		TYPE: KENTUCKY:
Houstonia minima	Houstonia minima L. C. Beck, Amer. J. Sci. Arts 10: 262. 1826.		TYPE: MISSOURI: St. Louis Co.: Ca. 0.5 mi. W of St. Louis, s.d., Beck s.n. (holotype: ?).
Houstonia pusilla forma albiflora	Houstonia pusilla Schoepf, forma albiflora Standley, Rhodora 34: 177. 1932.		TYPE: LOUISIANA: Iberia Par.: New Iberia, 16 Mar 1930, Benke 5191 (holoytpe: F).
Houstonia pusilla forma albiflora	Houstonia pusilla Schoepf, forma albiflora Wunderlin & Hopkins, Trans. Illinois Acad. Sci. 59: 386. 1966, non Standley 1932.		TYPE: ILLINOIS: Johnson Co.: Split Rock Hollow, 8 Apr 1966, Wunderlin & Hopkins 1 (holotype: SIU; isotype: SIU).
Houstonia pusilla forma rosea	Houstonia pusilla Schoepf, forma rosea Steyermark, Rhodora 41: 585. 1939.		TYPE: MISSOURI: Pulaski Co.: Along County D, 4 mi. W of Jerome, 17 Apr 1937, Steyermark 4599a (holotype: F; isotype: MO).
Oldenlandia minima	Oldenlandia minima (L. C. Beck) A. Gray, Manual, ed. 2. 173. 1856.	BASIONYM: Houstonia minima L. C. Beck 1826.

Specimens

Country	State	County	Date	Specimen
USA	Florida	Gadsden Co.	s.d.	M. Kuck 102
USA	Florida	Escambia Co.	16 Mar 1982	G. Wilhelm 9968
USA	Florida	Okaloosa Co.	14 Mar 1982	G. Wilhelm 9905
USA	Florida	Walton Co.	14 Mar 1982	G. Wilhelm 9925
USA	Florida	Leon Co.	22 Mar 1958	R. Kral 6304
USA	Florida	Escambia Co.	22 Mar 2005	W. H. Lewis 15937
USA	Florida	Calhoun Co.	18 Feb 2007	T. MacClendon 547
USA	Florida	Escambia Co.	02 May 1982	D. S. Correll 53864
USA	Florida	Calhoun Co.	21 Mar 1992	C. vanHoek 257
USA	Florida	Leon Co.	21 Mar 1934	L. Griscom 21517
USA	Florida	Jackson Co.	12 Mar 1901	A. H. Curtiss 6746
USA	Florida	Gulf Co.	22 Mar 2015	W. D. Longbottom 22443
USA	Louisiana	Lafayette Par.	09 Mar 1980	K. A. Vincent 3257
USA	Georgia	Oglethorpe Co.	07 Apr 1963	F. Montgomery s.n.
USA	Louisiana	Bienville Par.	13 Mar 1973	R. Simmering 3
USA	Louisiana	Lincoln Par.	04 Apr 1987	T. Watson 12
USA	Alabama	Franklin Co.	17 Apr 1955	G. R. Cooley 3495
USA	Alabama	Tuscaloosa Co.	23 Mar 1955	O. D. Chermock 36
USA	Georgia	Walton Co.	15 Apr 1952	G. R. Cooley 1441a
USA	Georgia	Walton Co.	15 Apr 1954	G. R. Cooley 1452
USA	Alabama	Franklin Co.	17 Apr 1955	G. R. Cooley 3496
USA	Alabama	Escambia Co.	17 Mar 1981	G. Wilhelm 8602
USA	Alabama	Baldwin Co.	18 Mar 1981	G. Wilhelm 8649
USA	Mississippi	Fayette Co.	27 Mar 1955	G. R. Cooley 3345a
USA	Alabama	Baldwin Co.	22 Mar 2005	W. H. Lewis 15935
USA	South Carolina	Richland Co.	01 Apr 2003	J. W. Gregory 8
USA	Alabama	Limestone Co.	29 Mar 1958	J. P. Gillespie 895
USA	Mississippi	Oktibbeha Co.	18 Apr 1955	J. D. Ray, Jr. 4349
USA	Mississippi	Amite Co.	22 Mar 1957	J. D. Ray, Jr. 7872
USA	Louisiana	Ouachita Par.	20 Feb 1967	R. D. Thomas 1616
USA	Louisiana	Vernon Par.	28 Apr 1955	G. R. Cooley 3981
USA	South Carolina	Dillon Co.	18 Apr 1957	H. E. Ahles 23320

Listed Status: Florida

Listed Status:	(Florida):Source - Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Chapter 5B-40, Florida Administrative Code. 1998, amended.
Endangered:	A species of plants native to the state that are in imminent danger of extinction within the state, the survival of which is unlikely if the causes of a decline in the number of plants continue, and includes all species determined to be endangered or threatened pursuant to the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Threatened:	Listed as Threatened Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Defined as species of plants native to the state that are in rapid decline in the number of plants within the state, but which have not so decreased in such number as to cause them to be endangered.

Listed Status: US

Listed Status: US	(U.S.) Source - List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Endangered:	Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Threatened:	Any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

WAP: Wetland AssessmentProcedure

Wetland Assessment Procedure (WAP): Source - Southwest Florida Water Management District, Wetland Assessment Procedure Instruction Manual for Isolated Wetlands (March 2005).

AD:	Adaptive Species. Plant species designated as FAC or Upland by DEP, but commonly seen in the transition zone in limited numbers.
D:	Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the deep zone, and designated either FAC or OBL by DEP.
OD:	Outer Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the outer deep zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
T:	Transition Species. Plant species commonly found in the transition zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
U:	Upland Species. Plant species that are not expected to be seen in wetlands.

ANY - WAP critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with WAP designations
No - Show results without WAP designations

FISC: Florida Invasive Species Council

FISC:

Source - Florida Invasive Species Council's 2017 List of Florida's Most Invasive Species

Category I - Species that are invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but on the documented ecological damage caused.

Category II - Species that have shown a potential to disrupt native plant communities. These species may become ranked as Category I, but have not yet demonstrated disruption of natural Florida communities.

DEP: Department of Environmental Protection

Wetland Status, Department of Environmental Regulation (DEP): Source - Delineation of the Landward Extent of Wetlands and Surface Waters, Chapter 62-340, Florida Administrative Code. 1994.

OBL:	Obligate wetland. Occurs almost always under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally found in non-wetlands
FAC:	Facultative. equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

NWPL: National Wetland Plant List

National Wetland Plant List (NWPL): Source - Lichvar, R.W., M. Butterwick, N.C. Melvin, and W.N. Kirchner. 2014. The National Wetland Plant List: 2014 Update of Wetland Ratings. Phytoneuron 2014-41: 1-42.

OBL:	Obligate Wetland. Occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in non-wetlands.
FAC:	Facultative. Equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands (estimated probability 34%-66%).
FACU:	Facultative Upland. Usually occurs in non-wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in wetlands (estimated probability 1%-33%).
UPL:	Obligate Upland. Occurs in wetlands in another region, but occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in non-wetlands in the regions specified.

Persisting

Identifying species that appear as waifs or only periodically appear in the flora for a few seasons.

Any - Persisting critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with a Persisting value of Y
No - Show results without Persisting value of N

Duration

Annual:	Plants that perform their entire lifecycle within a single growing season. All roots, stems, and leaves die at the end of the growing season. Over wintering seeds allow the next generation to appear.
Biennial:	A plant that is typically vegetative its first year and blooms the following season. Once it has bloomed and set seed, the plant dies. Garlic mustard is an example of a biennial.
Perennial:	These plants live for three or more seasons. Many perennials may not be mature enough to bloom during its first year. Perennial wildflowers re-grow each season from overwinter root material.

Category

Vascular:	Any of various plants that have the vascular tissues xylem and phloem. The vascular plants include all seed-bearing plants (the gymnosperms and angiosperms) and the pteridophytes (including the ferns, lycophytes, and horsetails). Also called tracheophyte.
Bryophyte:	A large group of seedless green plants including the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Bryophytes lack the specialized tissues xylem and phloem that circulate water and dissolved nutrients in the vascular plants. Bryophytes generally live on land but are mostly found in moist environments, for they have free-swimming sperm that require water for transport. In contrast to the vascular plants, the gametophyte (haploid) generation of bryophytes constitutes the larger plant form, while the small sporophyte (diploid) generation grows on or within the gametophyte and depends upon it for nutrition.
Lichen:	The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as mountaintops and polar regions. The more familiar lichens grow slowly as crusty patches, but lichens are found in a variety of forms, such as the tall, plantlike reindeer moss. The association between the different organisms in a lichen is so close that lichens are routinely referred to as a single organism, and scientists classify lichens using the name of the fungal component.

(Definitions from: American Heritage Science Dictionary)

Growth Habit

Intro paragraph to be provided by New York.

Vine:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Shrub:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Tree:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Et cetera:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.

State Rank

This numeric rank provides the relative rarity for each species based on a scale from 1 (very rare) to 5 (common). These ranks carry no legal status.

S1 - Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state.
S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state.
S3 - Typically 21 to 100 occurrences, limited acreage, or miles of stream in the state.
S4 - Apparently secure in the state.
S5 - Demonstrably secure in the state.
SE - State exotic or non-native.
SH - Historically known from the state, but not seen in the past 15 years.
SNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. This is mainly those species which are now excluded from flora for various reasons.
SNR - Not yet ranked.
SX - Apparently extirpated from the state.

Global Rank

Each species' global rank is determined by NatureServe. These ranks carry no legal weight. The global rank reflects the species worldwide rarity.

G1 - Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences), or very few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or especially vulnerable to extinction because of some factor of its biology.
G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G3 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G4 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
GH - Historically known, with the expectation that it might be rediscovered.
GNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. NatureServe does not typically rank hybrid species.
GNR - Not yet ranked.
GX - Species believed to be extinct.

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Associated Ecological Communities

View a List of All Ecological Communities

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Citation Information:

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2024. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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Definition: Vouchered Specimen

A voucher specimen is a pressed and thoroughly dried plant sample deposited in a herbarium, and is intended to be a permanent record supporting research purposes. A voucher may be a record of a plant's occurrence in a particular area, or a specific example of a plant used in a scientific investigation.

Proper vouchers display all the necessary attributes for complete identification of the plant, and are to be accompanied by accurate locality, habitat, collection time, and collector data.

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