| Other Names | Star Violet, Angeleyes, Innocence, Fairy Flax and Quaker-Ladies | ||||||||||||
| Scientific Name | Houstonia micrantha | ||||||||||||
| Family Name | Madder ( Rubiaceae ) | ||||||||||||
| 4-Petaled Maltese Cross
Upright to somewhat sprawling, low, delicate winter annual 1.25 - 5.75 in. Solitary stem, usually branched. Flower: To 3/16 in across, four petals, blue-violet to lilac and darker basally, or rarely white, united basally into slender tube. 4 lobed at rim, the lobes wide-spreading. Flowers solitary, terminal on very slender stalks. Leaves: To 3/8 in long, less than 1/4 in wide. Opposite, stalked, abruptly tapering at base. Blades of upper leaves many times longer than stalks. One of first wildflowers to bloom in spring. Although flowers are small, when grouped together form large showy patches. | |||||||||||||
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Reference: Geyata Ajilvsgi Wildflowers of Texas p. 471 Previously classified as Hedyotis crassifolia Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller Texas Wildflowers p. 213 | |||||||||||||
January - April
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Other Color - white |
| In addtion to a primary listing with the blue-colored flowers, at times the white category may be more appropriate. . |