View source for Stellaria

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Stellaria
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=1: 421. 1753
|year=1753
}}, {{Treatment/Publication
|title=Gen. Pl. ed.
|place=5, 193. 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Chickweed;stitchwort;starwort;stellaire
|basionyms=
|synonyms={{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Alsine
|authority=Linnaeus
}}
|hierarchy=Caryophyllaceae;Caryophyllaceae subfam. Alsinoideae;Stellaria
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Caryophyllaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>subfamily</small>[[Caryophyllaceae subfam. Alsinoideae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Stellaria]]</div></div>
|etymology=Latin stella, star, and - aria, pertaining to, alluding to shape of flower
|volume=Volume 5
|mention_page=page 4, 7, 50, 74, 97, 105, 114
|treatment_page=page 96
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Plants </b>annual, winter annual, or perennial. <b>Taproots</b> usually slender, perennial taxa often rhizomatous, rooting at nodes. <b>Stems</b> prostrate to ascending or erect, simple or branched, terete or 4-angled. <b>Leaves</b> sometimes connate basally into sheath, often sessile; blade 1-veined, linear or lanceolate to ovate or deltate, succulent (<i>S. crassifolia</i> [gemmae], <i>S. fontinalis</i>, <i>S. humifusa</i>, and <i>S. irrigua</i>) or not, apex acute or obtuse. <b>Inflorescences</b> terminal, open cymes, rarely axillary (<i>S. alsine</i>, <i>S. americana</i>) or umbellate (<i>S. umbellata</i>), or terminal or axillary solitary flowers; bracts paired (1 in <i>S. dicranoides</i>), foliaceous, scarious and reduced, or absent. <b>Pedicels</b> erect, sometimes reflexed in fruit, glabrous or pubescent, not glandular. <b>Flowers</b> usually bisexual (<i>S. dicranoides</i> unisexual); perianth and androecium hypogynous or weakly perigynous; hypanthium cup- or disc-shaped; sepals (4–)5, distinct, green, occasionally purple tinged (<i>S. irrigua</i>) or red proximally (<i>S. pallida</i>), lanceolate to ovate-triangular, 2–12 mm, herbaceous (rarely coriaceous), margins often white, scarious, apex acute, acuminate, or obtuse, not hooded; petals (1–)5 or absent, white (sometimes translucent in <i>S. borealis</i>), not clawed, blade apex 2-fid usually for 2/3–4/5 its length (<i>S. holostea</i> occasionally laciniate); nectaries at base of filaments opposite sepals usually present, disc sometimes prominent; stamens (1–)5 or 10 or absent, arising from nectariferous disc (prominent in <i>S. dicranoides</i> and <i>S. irrigua</i>) at ovary base; filaments distinct; staminodes absent; styles [2–]3(–5), capitate to clavate, 0.2–7 mm, glabrous proximally; stigmas [2–]3(–5), terminal or subterminal, papillate (30×). <b>Capsules</b> globose to conic, opening by 3 or 6, occasionally 4, 8, or 10 ascending to recurved valves; carpophore present or absent. <b>Seeds</b> (1–)3–20+, yellow-brown to dark brown, globose to ellipsoid, laterally compressed, rarely shiny, papillate or rugose, rarely smooth, marginal wing absent, appendage absent. <b>x</b> = 10, 11, 12, 13, 15.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=Worldwide;mainly north-temperate regions.
|discussion=<p>Species ca. 120 (29 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>I have not attempted to present an infrageneric classification for <i>Stellaria</i>. Although several species complexes can be identified within the genus (e.g., <i>S. media</i>, <i>S. longipes</i>, <i>S. calycantha</i>), there are significant problems with accepting the most recent scheme (F. Pax and K. Hoffmann 1934c). <i>Stellaria</i> jamesiana is now placed in <i>Pseudostellaria</i> and <i>S. aquatica</i> in <i>Myosoton</i>. As well, <i>S. dicranoides</i> and <i>S. fontinalis</i> probably should be placed in other genera (see comments under those species). Additional study is warranted to determine both the generic circumscription of <i>Stellaria</i> and species relationships within the genus.</p>
|tables=
|references={{Treatment/Reference
|id=chinnappa1976a
|text=Chinnappa, C. C. and J. K. Morton. 1976. Studies on the Stellaria longipes Goldie complex—Variation in wild populations. Rhodora 78: 488–501.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=chinnappa1984a
|text=Chinnappa, C. C. and J. K. Morton. 1984. Studies on the Stellaria longipes Goldie complex (Caryophyllaceae): Biosystematics. Syst. Bot. 9: 60–73.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=chinnappa1985a
|text=Chinnappa, C. C. 1985. Studies in the Stellaria longipes complex (Caryophyllaceae): Interspecific hybridization. I. Triploid meiosis. Canad. J. Genet. Cytol. 27: 318–321.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=chinnappa1991a
|text=Chinnappa, C. C. and J. K. Morton. 1991. Studies on the Stellaria longipes complex (Caryophyllaceae): Taxonomy. Rhodora 93: 129–135.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=emery1994a
|text=Emery, R. J. N. and C. C. Chinnappa. 1994. Morphological variation among members of the Stellaria longipes complex: S. longipes, S. longifolia, and S. porsildii (Caryophyllaceae). Pl. Syst. Evol. 190: 69–78.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=hulten1943a
|text=Hultén, E. 1943. Stellaria longipes and its allies. Bot. Not. 1943: 251–270.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=morton1989a
|text=Morton, J. K. and R. K. Rabeler. 1989. Biosystematic studies on the Stellaria calycantha (Caryophyllaceae) complex. I. Cytology and cytogeography. Canad. J. Bot. 67: 121–127.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=porsild1963a
|text=Porsild, A. E. 1963. Stellaria longipes Goldie and its allies in North America. Bull. Natl. Mus. Canada 186: 1–35.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=rabeler1986a
|text=Rabeler, R. K. 1986. Revision of the Stellaria calycantha (Caryophyllaceae) Complex and Taxonomic Notes on the Genus. Ph.D. dissertation. Michigan State University.
}}
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Mid-stem and proximal leaves distinctly petiolate, broadly lanceolate to ovate or deltate
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Mid-stem and proximal leaves sessile to shortly petiolate; blades elliptic, ovate, lanceolate, linear, or linear-lanceolate
|[[#key-0-8| > 8]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Leaf blade bases cordate to truncate (rarely abruptly rounded)
|[[Stellaria cuspidata|Stellaria cuspidata]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Leaf blade bases round or cuneate
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Flowers large, usually 10 mm or more diam.; petals usually exceeding sepals
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Petals equaling or shorter than sepals, or absent; flowers less than 10 mm diam
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Sepals obtuse to acute, 3.5-6 mm
|[[Stellaria pubera|Stellaria pubera]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Sepals acuminate, (5-)7-10(-12) mm
|[[Stellaria corei|Stellaria corei]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Flowers solitary in axils of mid and distal stem leaves
|[[Stellaria obtusa|Stellaria obtusa]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Flowers several in foliaceous terminal cymes
|[[#key-0-6| > 6]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Sepals 5-6.5 mm; stamens 8-10; seeds 1.1-1.7 mm; tubercles taller than broad, apex acute
|[[Stellaria neglecta|Stellaria neglecta]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Sepals usually 3-5(-6) mm; stamens 1-5(-8); seeds 0.4-1.3 mm; tubercles usually broader than tall, apex usually obtuse
|[[#key-0-7| > 7]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Stamens 3-5(-8); sepals 4.5-5(-6) mm; seeds 0.9-1.3 mm diam.; petals usually present; plants usually green
|[[Stellaria media|Stellaria media]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Stamens 1-3 or absent; sepals 3-4 mm; seeds mostly 0.5-0.9 mm diam.; petals usually absent; plants usually yellowish green
|[[Stellaria pallida|Stellaria pallida]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Inflorescences, or flowers when solitary, in axils of foliage leaves on mid or distal stem
|[[#key-0-9| > 9]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Inflorescences with most flowers terminal, either several in bracteate inflorescence or solitary on long-ascending pedicels
|[[#key-0-18| > 18]]
|-id=key-0-9
|9
|Petals equaling or longer than sepals
|[[#key-0-10| > 10]]
|-id=key-0-9
|9
|Petals shorter than sepals, or absent
|[[#key-0-13| > 13]]
|-id=key-0-10
|10
|Sepals narrowly lanceolate-triangular, prominently 3-veined, margins straight
|[[Stellaria crassifolia|Stellaria crassifolia]]
|-id=key-0-10
|10
|Sepals lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 1- or obscurely 3-veined, margins convex
|[[#key-0-11| > 11]]
|-id=key-0-11
|11
|Seeds prominently papillate, papillae taller than broad; sepals pubescent
|[[Stellaria parva|Stellaria parva]]
|-id=key-0-11
|11
|Seeds smooth, rugose, or shallowly tuberculate, not papillate; sepals glabrous
|[[#key-0-12| > 12]]
|-id=key-0-12
|12
|Leaf blades succulent, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 4-15 × 1-5 mm
|[[Stellaria humifusa|Stellaria humifusa]]
|-id=key-0-12
|12
|Leaf blades not succulent, linear to linear-lanceolate, 27-35 × 2-3 mm
|[[Stellaria porsildii|Stellaria porsildii]]
|-id=key-0-13
|13
|Plants forming dense cushions, mid and distal stem internodes shorter than leaves
|[[#key-0-14| > 14]]
|-id=key-0-13
|13
|Plants creeping to straggling or ascending, sometimes forming mats, but not forming cushions, internodes equaling or longer than leaves
|[[#key-0-15| > 15]]
|-id=key-0-14
|14
|Stamens 5; petals present, deeply divided into 2 narrowly elliptic lobes
|[[Stellaria irrigua|Stellaria irrigua]]
|-id=key-0-14
|14
|Stamens 10; petals absent
|[[Stellaria dicranoides|Stellaria dicranoides]]
|-id=key-0-15
|15
|Leaf blades narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, oblanceolate, or linear
|[[#key-0-16| > 16]]
|-id=key-0-15
|15
|Leaf blades broadly elliptic to ovate
|[[#key-0-17| > 17]]
|-id=key-0-16
|16
|Flowers solitary in distal leaf axils
|[[Stellaria fontinalis|Stellaria fontinalis]]
|-id=key-0-16
|16
|Flowers in axillary inflorescences in mid and distal leaf axils
|[[Stellaria alsine|Stellaria alsine]]
|-id=key-0-17
|17
|Sepals obtuse at apex with ± obscure veins; styles shorter than 0.5 mm, curled; capsules globose to broadly ovoid
|[[Stellaria obtusa|Stellaria obtusa]]
|-id=key-0-17
|17
|Sepals acute to acuminate at apex with 3 prominent veins; styles ca. 1 mm, spreading to ascending; capsules ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid
|[[Stellaria crispa|Stellaria crispa]]
|-id=key-0-18
|18
|Bracts scarious or with scarious margins
|[[#key-0-19| > 19]]
|-id=key-0-18
|18
|Bracts or subtending leaf blades without scarious margins
|[[#key-0-26| > 26]]
|-id=key-0-19
|19
|Capsules ca. equaling or shorter than sepals
|[[#key-0-20| > 20]]
|-id=key-0-19
|19
|Capsules longer than sepals
|[[#key-0-22| > 22]]
|-id=key-0-20
|20
|Plants annual
|[[Stellaria nitens|Stellaria nitens]]
|-id=key-0-20
|20
|Plants perennial
|[[#key-0-21| > 21]]
|-id=key-0-21
|21
|Plants compact; stems ascending, 3-10(-20) cm; petals equaling or shorter than sepals
|[[Stellaria alaskana|Stellaria alaskana]]
|-id=key-0-21
|21
|Plants coarse; stems straggling with erect branches, 20-60 cm; petals 1.5-2 times as long as sepals
|[[Stellaria palustris|Stellaria palustris]]
|-id=key-0-22
|22
|Inflorescences subumbellate; petals absent
|[[Stellaria umbellata|Stellaria umbellata]]
|-id=key-0-22
|22
|Inflorescences cymose or flowers solitary; petals present
|[[#key-0-23| > 23]]
|-id=key-0-23
|23
|Plants delicate, creeping, often forming mats; flowers solitary and axillary or in small, few-flowered, leafy cymes; leaf blades variable in shape, midribobscure
|[[Stellaria crassifolia|Stellaria crassifolia]]
|-id=key-0-23
|23
|Plants not with the above combination of characters; leaf blades with prominent midrib
|[[#key-0-24| > 24]]
|-id=key-0-24
|24
|Leaf blades linear-elliptic, broadest at middle or distally; angles of stems and/or margins of leaf blades minutely papillate-scabrid (30×)
|[[Stellaria longifolia|Stellaria longifolia]]
|-id=key-0-24
|24
|Leaf blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, broadest proximally; angles of stems and/or margins of leaf blades not papillate-scabrid (soft hairs of cilia may be present)
|[[#key-0-25| > 25]]
|-id=key-0-25
|25
|Sepals narrowly triangular or lanceolate, margins straight, veins 3, forming prominent ridges; seeds coarsely rugose in concentric rings; plants coarse; stems ascending, straggling; inflorescences muchbranched, many-flowered
|[[Stellaria graminea|Stellaria graminea]]
|-id=key-0-25
|25
|Sepals lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, margins convex, veins 1-3, not forming ridges; seeds shallowly tuberculate to smooth; stems erect to straggling; flowers solitary or inflorescences few-flowered
|[[Stellaria longipes|Stellaria longipes]]
|-id=key-0-26
|26
|Flowers 20-30 mm diam.; petals 8-14 mm, longer than sepals; leaf blades narrowly lanceolate, 4-8 cm, apex acuminate
|[[Stellaria holostea|Stellaria holostea]]
|-id=key-0-26
|26
|Plants not having the above combination of characters
|[[#key-0-27| > 27]]
|-id=key-0-27
|27
|Leaves widest at or above middle
|[[#key-0-28| > 28]]
|-id=key-0-27
|27
|Leaves widest towards base
|[[#key-0-31| > 31]]
|-id=key-0-28
|28
|Plants glandular-puberulent; pedicels arcuate, pushing capsule into substrate; seeds 3-6, ca. 2.5 mm diam
|[[Stellaria americana|Stellaria americana]]
|-id=key-0-28
|28
|Plants eglandular; other characters not as above
|[[#key-0-29| > 29]]
|-id=key-0-29
|29
|Sepals narrowly lanceolate-triangular; plants creeping, forming mats usually shorter than 5 cm
|[[Stellaria crassifolia|Stellaria crassifolia]]
|-id=key-0-29
|29
|Sepals ovate to ovate-triangular; plants with diffusely branched or ascending flowering stems taller than 5 cm
|[[#key-0-30| > 30]]
|-id=key-0-30
|30
|Petals 4-8 mm, conspicuous, white; sepals 3.5-6 mm
|[[Stellaria pubera|Stellaria pubera]]
|-id=key-0-30
|30
|Petals shorter than 3 mm, inconspicuous, white or translucent; sepals2-3(-4) mm
|[[Stellaria borealis|Stellaria borealis]]
|-id=key-0-31
|31
|Plants straggling to scandent; stems to 60 cm; leaf blades ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 10-45 × 4-20 mm; inflorescences terminal leafy cymes
|[[Stellaria littoralis|Stellaria littoralis]]
|-id=key-0-31
|31
|Plants not having the above combination of characters
|[[#key-0-32| > 32]]
|-id=key-0-32
|32
|Sepals 2-3(-4) mm; open flowers less than 5 mm diam.; petals not exceeding sepals, inconspicuous or absent
|[[#key-0-33| > 33]]
|-id=key-0-32
|32
|Sepals 3.5 mm or longer; open flowers 5 mm or more diam.; petals equaling or exceeding sepals, conspicuous
|[[#key-0-34| > 34]]
|-id=key-0-33
|33
|Capsules broadly ovoid to globose, to 1.5 times as long as broad; styles less than 1 mm; sepals in open flowers less than 2.5 mm, veins obscure (rarely 1)
|[[Stellaria calycantha|Stellaria calycantha]]
|-id=key-0-33
|33
|Capsules ovoid, more than 1.5 times as long as broad; styles longer than 1 mm; sepals in open flowers more than 2.5 mm with 1-3 prominent veins
|[[Stellaria borealis|Stellaria borealis]]
|-id=key-0-34
|34
|Sepals 4.5-6 mm; leaf blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, coriaceous, apex spinous; capsules equaling sepals
|[[Stellaria ruscifolia|Stellaria ruscifolia]]
|-id=key-0-34
|34
|Sepals 3.5-5 mm; leaf blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, not strongly coriaceous, apex acute to acuminate, not spinous; capsules 1.5-2 times as long as sepals
|[[Stellaria longipes|Stellaria longipes]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Stellaria
|author=John K. Morton
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=subfamily
|synonyms=Alsine
|basionyms=
|family=Caryophyllaceae
|illustrator=Bee F. Gunn
|distribution=Worldwide;mainly north-temperate regions.
|reference=chinnappa1976a;chinnappa1984a;chinnappa1985a;chinnappa1991a;emery1994a;hulten1943a;morton1989a;porsild1963a;rabeler1986a
|publication title=Sp. Pl.;Gen. Pl. ed.
|publication year=1753;1754
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/f6b125a955440c0872999024f038d74684f65921/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V5/V5_202.xml
|subfamily=Caryophyllaceae subfam. Alsinoideae
|genus=Stellaria
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Caryophyllaceae subfam. Alsinoideae]]