Gordon Beningfield (British, 1936 - 1998) "Bluets" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 29c Bluets stamp issued July 24, 1992. One of the heralds of spring, delicate bluets form dense tufts that spread abundantly along roadsides and in meadows. The pale blue flowers look white from afar. Because the flowers were thought to resemble the white bonnets worn by Quaker women, another common name is Quaker ladies. Flowering from April to June, bluets occasionally are mistaken for forget-me-nots. The flower parts of bluets, however, occur in multiples of four while those of the forget-me-nots are in fives. Butterflies -- such as the painted lady and clouded sulphur -- and bees pollinate the flowers. Another common visitor is the beefly. Bluets are members of the madder family, Rubiaceae, to which coffee also belongs. The genus name, Houstonia, honors William Houston, an 18th century Scottish physician and botanist who collected plants in Mexico and the Caribbean. Image Size: 7 x 6 in. Overall Size: 11.25 x 10.25 in. Unframed. (B13109)