Stellaria media (L.) Vill.

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Stellaria media

Photo: Bart Wursten
Ndundu Lodge, Vumba

Stellaria media

Photo: Bart Wursten
La Rochelle

Stellaria media

Photo: Bart Wursten
La Rochelle

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:
Common names: Chickweed (English)
Frequency: Locally common in the E Highlands.
Status: Introduced
Description:
Annual herb with decumbent or ascending stems, 5-40 cm. Lower leaves: petiole c.1.5 cm; lamina c.1 × 1 cm, ovate; base sometimes ± cordate; upper ± sessile, usually larger, ovate or broadly elliptic. Petals slightly shorter than the sepals, white; apex deeply 2-fid, so that there almost appears to be 10 petals rather than 5.
Notes: Our plants appear to be subsp. media, which has a single line of hairs down each stem internode. The other subspecies have at least the upper internodes hairy all round.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat: Gardens and lawns, especially those watered through the dry season.
Altitude range: (metres) 1280 - 1660 m
Flowering time:Jun - Aug
Worldwide distribution: A cosmopolitan weed
Zimbabwe distribution: N,W,C,E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated: Wednesday 19 October 2005
Literature:

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 52.

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 32.

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 45.

Wild, H. (1960-1). Caryophyllaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2) Pages 349 - 350.


Other sources of information about Stellaria media:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Stellaria media
Flora of Malawi: Stellaria media

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Stellaria media
African Plant Database: Stellaria media
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Stellaria media
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Stellaria media
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Stellaria media
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Stellaria media
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Stellaria media
JSTOR Plant Science: Stellaria media
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Stellaria media
Plants of the World Online: Stellaria media
Tropicos: Stellaria media
Wikipedia: Stellaria media


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Stellaria media.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=123250, retrieved 19 March 2024

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