Stellaria graminea L.
Grass-leaf starwort, grass-like starwort, little starwort, common stitchwort, grassleaf starwort
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Caryophyllidae Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
Order Caryophyllales Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
Family Caryophyllaceae Pink or carnation family
Genus Stellaria From the Latin stella for “star’ because of the star-like shape of the flowers or some other feature
Species graminea Resembling grass, grassy
About plant names...
Grassleaf starwort is native to Europe and Asia, but now common in temperate regions
around the world. The flowers are small and spread out in a manner that suggests stars.
Identification: It is a low, spreading, disheveled plant,
with thin, haphazardly branching stems and grasslike leaves. Stems are roughly square in cross-section.
Unless the plant has something to clamber over, in which case it can reach 1½′ (45 cm) in height,
it tends to lie close to the ground. Leaves are
opposite, 1½″ (3.8 cm) × ¼″ (8.5 mm), smooth, and attached directly to the stem ("sessile").
Flowers are in the form of branched groups of 1-3 flowers. Each flower is about ¼″ (8.5 mm)
around, with five petals so deeply divided that they appear to be 10. They bloom between late
spring and early summer.
Online References:
Illinois Wildflowers
The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site
Turner Photographics' Wildflowers site
The Jepson Manual
EFloras
5/3/2008 · By Jacquelyn Boyt
6/16/2013 · Birch Point State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm) ID is uncertain
6/16/2013 · Birch Point State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain
7/6/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm)
6/16/2013 · Birch Point State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain
Older scientific or horticultural names
Alsine graminea (L.) Britton
Stellaria graminea L. var. latifolia Peterm.
Stellaria graminea description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Jul 2023.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
5/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm)
6/12/2023 · Viles Arboretum, Augusta, Maine
The stitchwort foliage is the linear, grass-like leaves. · 5/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm)
6/29/2014 · Mount Agamenticus, York, Maine · ≈ 7 × 10″ (16 × 25 cm)
6/27/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 3½″ (14 × 9.6 cm)
8/1/2009 · Stan & Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 8.8 cm) ID is uncertain
6/12/2023 · Viles Arboretum, Augusta, Maine
6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 6 × 3½″ (14 × 9.4 cm)
5/29/2010 · Maine Audubon Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)
Range:
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