Phlox divaricata (Wild blue phlox)

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Phlox divaricata L.

Wild blue phlox, Louisiana phlox, blue woodland phlox, sweet William, wild sweet William, blue woodla

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Ericales	Tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others
Family	Polemoniaceae	Phlox, Jabob’s-ladder
Genus	Phlox	Greek φλόξ, means “flame”
Species	divaricata	“Spreading out, growing in a straggly manner”

About plant names...

Wild blue phlox is native to eastern North America. It is found in forests and fields. Several cultivars have been created. These plants can form large colonies, and are sometimes used as ground cover. They spread by seed, and they are also stoloniferous, forming plant colonies.

Plants: 10-20" (25-50 cm) in size, with hairy, sticky, decumbent stems.

Leaves: Opposite, hairy, up to 2½" (6.3 cm) × ¾" (1.9 cm), ovate-lanceolate. Leaves attach directly to, or even slightly clasp, stems.

Flowers: Flowers, occurring in clusters, are slightly fragrant, ¾-1" (2-3 cm) in diameter, comprised of five petals fused at the base into a thin tube. They may be lavender, light purple, blue, pink, or white, appearing Apr-May. If the petals are notched at the tips, you’re looking at Phlox divaricata ssp. divaricata; if not, it is P. divaricata ssp. laphamii.

Fruits: Ovoid seed capsules about ⅛" (4 mm) long contain several small seeds.

Online References:

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Wikipedia

The Missouri Botanical Garden

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 44