houstonia

American

[hoo-stoh-nee-uh] / huˈstoʊ ni ə /

noun

any North American plant, belonging to the genus Houstonia, of the madder family, especially H. caerulea, the common bluet.

houstonia British

/ huːˈstəʊnɪə /

noun

any small North American rubiaceous plant of the genus Houstonia, having blue, white, or purple flowers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of houstonia

1755–65; < New Latin, named after Dr. W. Houston (died 1733), British botanist; see -ia

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

houstonia

In another locality I might have brought him dwarf cornel, or the houstonia, or wood-sorrel, or the evening-primrose.

From Under the Maples by John Burroughs

It is prettier than the violet, and larger and deeper colored than our houstonia.

From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Neltje Blanchan

They were gone a great while, and came back with a charming bunch—arbutus, anemones, violets, and houstonia.

From Memories of Hawthorne by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop

By this time the hepatica, anemone saxifrage, arbutus, houstonia, and bloodroot may be counted on.

From Wake-Robin by John Burroughs

The list includes bloodroot, cowslip, houstonia, saxifrage, dandelion, chickweed, cinquefoil, strawberry, mouse-ear, bellwort, dog's-tooth violet, five species of violet proper, and two of anemone.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 07, No. 42, April, 1861 by Various

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023