houstonia

American  

[hoo-stoh-nee-uh] / huˈstoʊ ni ə /

noun

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

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houstonia British  

/ huːˈstəʊnɪə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of houstonia

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

Example Sentences

It is a perfect flower with its petals, like the houstonia or anemone.

From A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers by Thoreau, Henry David

At my feet are blue violets and white houstonia.

From A Florida Sketch-Book by Torrey, Bradford

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

From Memories of Hawthorne by Lathrop, Rose Hawthorne

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

From Wake-Robin by Burroughs, John

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 Burroughs, John