Stellaria L.

Chickweed

Latin stella—a star, in reference to the star-shaped flowers.

Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves opposite, stipules absent. Flowers solitary or in paired clusters at the joints. Sepals 4-5. Petals 4-5 or absent, white, deeply notched. Stamens 8-10, occasionally fewer. Ovary with 1 cell, styles 3(-4). Fruit a capsule, opening by 6-8 valves.

S. holostea L. Stitchwort from Europe, W Asia and N Africa is occasionally available as a white-flowered, spring-flowering perennial.

About 120 species cosmopolitan, many weedy.

Source: Spencer, R. (1997). Caryophyllaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Caryophyllanae
order      Caryophyllales
family       Caryophyllaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Stellaria media (L.) Cirillo