crisp sandwort, crisp starwort, crisped starwort, curled starwort, ruffled starwort
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chickweed, starwort, stellaire, stitchwort
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Plants perennial, forming small to large mats, from slender rhizomes. |
Plants annual, winter annual, or perennial. |
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usually slender, perennial taxa often rhizomatous, rooting at nodes. |
trailing to ascending, branched, 4-angled, 10–60 cm, glabrous. |
prostrate to ascending or erect, simple or branched, terete or 4-angled. |
subsessile; blade broadly elliptic to ovate, 0.4–2.6 cm × 2–15 mm, base round to cuneate, margins entire, apex acuminate, glabrous or with a few scattered cilia. |
sometimes connate basally into sheath, often sessile; blade 1-veined, linear or lanceolate to ovate or deltate, succulent (S. crassifolia [gemmae], S. fontinalis, S. humifusa, and S. irrigua) or not, apex acute or obtuse. |
with flowers solitary in leaf axils; bracts absent. |
terminal, open cymes, rarely axillary (S. alsine, S. americana) or umbellate (S. umbellata), or terminal or axillary solitary flowers; bracts paired (1 in S. dicranoides), foliaceous, scarious and reduced, or absent. |
ascending, straight, mostly 5–30 mm, glabrous. |
erect, sometimes reflexed in fruit, glabrous or pubescent, not glandular. |
4–5 mm; sepals 5, prominently 3-veined, lanceolate, 2–4 mm, margins broadly scarious, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous; petals usually absent, rarely 1–5 and much shorter than sepals; stamens 10 or fewer; styles 3, spreading to ascending, curved but not curled, ca. 1 mm. |
usually bisexual (S. dicranoides unisexual); perianth and androecium hypogynous or weakly perigynous; hypanthium cup- or disc-shaped; sepals (4–)5, distinct, green, occasionally purple tinged (S. irrigua) or red proximally (S. pallida), 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 S. borealis), not clawed, blade apex 2-fid usually for 2/3–4/5 its length (S. holostea 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 S. dicranoides and S. irrigua) 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 (30x). |
straw colored or brownish, ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, 3.5–6 mm, equaling or slightly exceeding sepals, apex broadly acute, opening by 6 valves; carpophore absent. |
globose to conic, opening by 3 or 6, occasionally 4, 8, or 10 ascending to recurved valves; carpophore present or absent. |
brown, broadly elliptic, 0.7–1 mm (longest axis), distinctly rugose. |
(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. |
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= 10, 11, 12, 13, 15. |
= 26, 52. |
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Flowering summer. |
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Wet soil in woods, shaded streambanks and shores |
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0-2300 m (0-7500 ft) |
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AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC
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Worldwide; mainly north-temperate regions |
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Species ca. 120 (29 in the flora). I have not attempted to present an infrageneric classification for Stellaria. Although several species complexes can be identified within the genus (e.g., S. media, S. longipes, S. calycantha), there are significant problems with accepting the most recent scheme (F. Pax and K. Hoffmann 1934c). Stellaria jamesiana is now placed in Pseudostellaria and S. aquatica in Myosoton. As well, S. dicranoides and S. fontinalis probably should be placed in other genera (see comments under those species). Additional study is warranted to determine both the generic circumscription of Stellaria and species relationships within the genus. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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1. Mid-stem and proximal leaves distinctly petiolate, broadly lanceolate to ovate or deltate | → 2 |
1. Mid-stem and proximal leaves sessile to shortly petiolate; blades elliptic, ovate, lanceolate, linear, or linear-lanceolate | → 8 |
2. Leaf blade bases cordate to truncate (rarely abruptly rounded) | S. cuspidata |
2. Leaf blade bases round or cuneate | → 3 |
3. Flowers large, usually 10 mm or more diam.; petals usually exceeding sepals | → 4 |
3. Petals equaling or shorter than sepals, or absent; flowers less than 10 mm diam | → 5 |
4. Sepals obtuse to acute, 3.5-6 mm | S. pubera |
4. Sepals acuminate, (5-)7-10(-12) mm | S. corei |
5. Flowers solitary in axils of mid and distal stem leaves | S. obtusa |
5. Flowers several in foliaceous terminal cymes | → 6 |
6. Sepals 5-6.5 mm; stamens 8-10; seeds 1.1-1.7 mm; tubercles taller than broad, apex acute | S. neglecta |
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 | → 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 | S. media |
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 | S. pallida |
8. Inflorescences, or flowers when solitary, in axils of foliage leaves on mid or distal stem | → 9 |
8. Inflorescences with most flowers terminal, either several in bracteate inflorescence or solitary on long-ascending pedicels | → 18 |
9. Petals equaling or longer than sepals | → 10 |
9. Petals shorter than sepals, or absent | → 13 |
10. Sepals narrowly lanceolate-triangular, prominently 3-veined, margins straight | S. crassifolia |
10. Sepals lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 1- or obscurely 3-veined, margins convex | → 11 |
11. Seeds prominently papillate, papillae taller than broad; sepals pubescent | S. parva |
11. Seeds smooth, rugose, or shallowly tuberculate, not papillate; sepals glabrous | → 12 |
12. Leaf blades succulent, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 4-15 × 1-5 mm | S. humifusa |
12. Leaf blades not succulent, linear to linear-lanceolate, 27-35 × 2-3 mm | S. porsildii |
13. Plants forming dense cushions, mid and distal stem internodes shorter than leaves | → 14 |
13. Plants creeping to straggling or ascending, sometimes forming mats, but not forming cushions, internodes equaling or longer than leaves | → 15 |
14. Stamens 5; petals present, deeply divided into 2 narrowly elliptic lobes | S. irrigua |
14. Stamens 10; petals absent | S. dicranoides |
15. Leaf blades narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, oblanceolate, or linear | → 16 |
15. Leaf blades broadly elliptic to ovate | → 17 |
16. Flowers solitary in distal leaf axils | S. fontinalis |
16. Flowers in axillary inflorescences in mid and distal leaf axils | S. alsine |
17. Sepals obtuse at apex with ± obscure veins; styles shorter than 0.5 mm, curled; capsules globose to broadly ovoid | S. obtusa |
17. Sepals acute to acuminate at apex with 3 prominent veins; styles ca. 1 mm, spreading to ascending; capsules ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid | S. crispa |
18. Bracts scarious or with scarious margins | → 19 |
18. Bracts or subtending leaf blades without scarious margins | → 26 |
19. Capsules ca. equaling or shorter than sepals | → 20 |
19. Capsules longer than sepals | → 22 |
| S. nitens |
| → 21 |
21. Plants compact; stems ascending, 3-10(-20) cm; petals equaling or shorter than sepals | S. alaskana |
21. Plants coarse; stems straggling with erect branches, 20-60 cm; petals 1.5-2 times as long as sepals | S. palustris |
22. Inflorescences subumbellate; petals absent | S. umbellata |
22. Inflorescences cymose or flowers solitary; petals present | → 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 | S. crassifolia |
23. Plants not with the above combination of characters; leaf blades with prominent midrib | → 24 |
24. Leaf blades linear-elliptic, broadest at middle or distally; angles of stems and/or margins of leaf blades minutely papillate-scabrid (30×) | S. longifolia |
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) | → 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 | S. graminea |
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 | S. longipes |
26. Flowers 20-30 mm diam.; petals 8-14 mm, longer than sepals; leaf blades narrowly lanceolate, 4-8 cm, apex acuminate | S. holostea |
26. Plants not having the above combination of characters | → 27 |
27. Leaves widest at or above middle | → 28 |
27. Leaves widest towards base | → 31 |
28. Plants glandular-puberulent; pedicels arcuate, pushing capsule into substrate; seeds 3-6, ca. 2.5 mm diam | S. americana |
28. Plants eglandular; other characters not as above | → 29 |
29. Sepals narrowly lanceolate-triangular; plants creeping, forming mats usually shorter than 5 cm | S. crassifolia |
29. Sepals ovate to ovate-triangular; plants with diffusely branched or ascending flowering stems taller than 5 cm | → 30 |
30. Petals 4-8 mm, conspicuous, white; sepals 3.5-6 mm | S. pubera |
30. Petals shorter than 3 mm, inconspicuous, white or translucent; sepals2-3(-4) mm | S. borealis |
31. Plants straggling to scandent; stems to 60 cm; leaf blades ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 10-45 × 4-20 mm; inflorescences terminal leafy cymes | S. littoralis |
31. Plants not having the above combination of characters | → 32 |
32. Sepals 2-3(-4) mm; open flowers less than 5 mm diam.; petals not exceeding sepals, inconspicuous or absent | → 33 |
32. Sepals 3.5 mm or longer; open flowers 5 mm or more diam.; petals equaling or exceeding sepals, conspicuous | → 34 |
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) | S. calycantha |
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 | S. borealis |
34. Sepals 4.5-6 mm; leaf blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, coriaceous, apex spinous; capsules equaling sepals | S. ruscifolia |
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 | S. longipes |
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FNA vol. 5, p. 104. |
FNA vol. 5, p. 96. Author: John K. Morton. |
Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Alsinoideae > Stellaria |
Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Alsinoideae |
S. alaskana, S. alsine, S. americana, S. borealis, S. calycantha, S. corei, S. crassifolia, S. cuspidata, S. dicranoides, S. fontinalis, S. graminea, S. holostea, S. humifusa, S. irrigua, S. littoralis, S. longifolia, S. longipes, S. media, S. neglecta, S. nitens, S. obtusa, S. pallida, S. palustris, S. parva, S. porsildii, S. pubera, S. ruscifolia, S. umbellata |
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S. alaskana, S. alsine, S. americana, S. borealis, S. calycantha, S. corei, S. crassifolia, S. crispa, S. cuspidata, S. dicranoides, S. fontinalis, S. graminea, S. holostea, S. humifusa, S. irrigua, S. littoralis, S. longifolia, S. longipes, S. media, S. neglecta, S. nitens, S. obtusa, S. pallida, S. palustris, S. parva, S. porsildii, S. pubera, S. ruscifolia, S. umbellata |
Alsine crispa, S. borealis var. crispa |
Alsine |
Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 1: 51. (1826) |
Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 421. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 193. (1754) |
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