Stellaria species - Stitchworts

Stellaria media Common Chickweed Sprawling stem with asingle line of hairs. Leaves cordate with one strong vein, lower leaves petiolate. 5 deeply bifid white petals 1 - 3 mm shorter than the spreading, ± hairy, oval sepals 3 - 5 mm. 3-8 red-violet anthers and 3 styles.

Moehringa trinervia Three-nerved Sandwort Like Chickweed, but slightly downy with 3 strong veins in each leaf, undivided petals and 3-veined sepals. This is on a different page.

Stellaria alsine Bog Stitchwort Decumbent to ascending to 40cms. Stems with 4 smooth angles. Bracts scarious with green midline. Leaves on flowering stems sessile, narrowly to ovate to 15mm. Petals bifid almost to base and much shorter than the sepals. 

Stellaria graminea Lesser Stitchwort Decumbent to ascending to 80cms. Stems with 4 smooth angles. Bracts scarious with green midline. Leaves sessile, lanceolate > 15mm andhairy at margin near base (🔍 x10). Bract margins ± hairy (🔍 x10) and exposed margins of sepals ± hairy (🔍 x10). Petals bifid almost to base and longer than the sepals. Flowers later than Stellaria holostea Greater Stitchwort.

Stellaria palustris Marsh Stitchwort Like graminea but entirely glabrous. Usually in more base-rich marshes and less common. Pictures awaited.

Stellaria holostea Greater Stitchwort Scrambling to ascending to 60cms. Stems with 4 rough angles. Bracts herbaceous. Leaves sessile, lanceolate. Petals bifid to halfway and much longer than sepals. Flowers before Stellaria graminea Lesser Stitchwort

Stellaria nemorum Wood Stitchwort Stoloniferous perennial with decumbent to ascending hairy stems to 60cms. Lower leaves long-petiolate, ovate, cordate. Petals 2x as long as sepals and almost bifid to base.

Stellaria Aquatica (Myosoton aquaticum) Water Chickweed Straggling to decumbent stems to 1m, glabrous below and glandular-hairy above. Leaves  ovate, cordate. Petals longer than sepals and almost bifid to base.