Houstonia longifolia Gaertn.

Locations ofHoustonia longifolia Gaertn. in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Rubiaceae
Botanical Name
Houstonia longifolia Gaertn.
Common Name
Longleaf Bluets
Synonym(s)
Houstonia longifolia Gaertn. var. compacta Terrell
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Houstonia longifolia Gaertn.
Comments
Terrell recognized 5 morphologically strongly overlapping groups within the longifolia complex (1996, Syst. Bot. Monogr. 48) but Flora of the Southeastern U.S. attributes only var. compacta to Virginia. This is an extremely variable species even in the Mid-Atlantic region, and very little recent work has been done on it. While Terrell's vars. may well have merit, there is enough variation just in Virginia plants to make us leery of treating this below species level until modern phylogenetic studies are conducted.
Habitat
Dry forests, woodlands, barrens, road banks, and rock outcrops; tolerant of a range of soil chemistries. Common in the mountains; becoming increasingly infrequent eastward in the Piedmont and inner Coastal Plain.
Native Status
Native

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