Stellaria obtusa

Engelmann

Bot. Gaz. 7: 5. 1882.

Common names: Blunt-sepaled starwort Rocky Mountain starwort
Endemic
Synonyms: Alsine obtusa (Engelmann) Rose Alsine viridula Piper Alsine washingtoniana (B. L. Robinson) A. Heller Stellaria viridula (Piper) St. John Stellaria washingtoniana B. L. Robinson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 110. Mentioned on page 97, 98.

Plants perennial, creeping, often matted but not forming cushions, rhizomatous. Stems prostrate, branched, 4-sided, 3–23 cm, internodes equaling or longer than leaves, glabrous, rarely pilose. Leaves sessile or short-petiolate; blade broadly ovate to elliptic, 0.2–1.2 cm × 0.9–7 mm, base round or cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, shiny, glabrous or ciliate near base. Inflorescences with flowers solitary, axillary; bracts absent. Pedicels spreading, 3–12 mm, glabrous. Flowers 1.5–2 mm diam.; sepals 4–5, veins obscure, midrib sometimes apparent, ± ovate, 1.5–3.5 mm, margins narrow, scarious, apex ± obtuse, glabrous; petals absent; stamens 10 or fewer; styles 3(–4), curled, shorter than 0.5 mm. Capsules green to pale straw colored, translucent, globose to broadly ovoid, 2.3–3.5 mm, 1.9–2 times as long as sepals, apex obtuse, opening by 6 valves; carpophore absent. Seeds grayish black, broadly elliptic, 0.5–0.7 mm diam., finely reticulate. 2n = 26, 52, ca. 65, ca. 78.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Moist areas in woods, shaded edges of creeks, talus slopes
Elevation: 300-3400 m

Distribution

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Alta., B.C., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Stellaria obtusa"
John K. Morton +
Engelmann +
Blunt-sepaled starwort +  and Rocky Mountain starwort +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
300-3400 m +
Moist areas in woods, shaded edges of creeks, talus slopes +
Flowering late spring–summer. +
Alsine obtusa +, Alsine viridula +, Alsine washingtoniana +, Stellaria viridula +  and Stellaria washingtoniana +
Stellaria obtusa +
Stellaria +
species +