Chickweeds, Mouse-ears & Allies
Chickweed Family - Caryophyllaceae
Common Chickweed Stellaria mediaNative throughout the temperate Old World and widely introduced elsewhere. Flowers mostly March to June but some plants can be found in flower throughout the year. An infuriatingly variable species, that can range in appearance from creeping, poorly-leaved specimens that resemble Lesser Chickweed, to vigorous, large-leaved individuals that look very like Greater Chickweed. However, the open flowers with 3-5(-8) stamens (anthers reddish before opening) should distinguish it from similar species.
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reddish anthers |
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Sticky Chickweed Stellaria cupaniana
Native throughout the Mediterranean Region from Spain to the Middle East and in Morocco.
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Lesser Chickweed Stellaria apetala
(Stellaria pallida ) Native throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Region, eastwards to the Himalayas. Easily confused with weak specimens of Common Chickweed and the two are often hard to tell apart. Lesser Chickweed tends to have a slightly sickly look to it and is often a pale, yellowish colour, becoming straw-coloured as the seeds mature. The flowers usually have no petals, only two stamens and often self-pollinate without opening fully - making a count of the stamens tricky! Stamens 1-2, occasionally 3, with grey-violet anthers.
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violet anthers |
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Jagged Chickweed Holosteum umbellatum
Native throughout much of Europe and the Mediterranean region to western Asia and introduced elsewhere. Almost hairless but for a region of sticky-glandular hairs on the flower stalk. Readily told from similar species by the umbel of flowers on a common stalk. Each flower stalk is reflexed in bud, becoming upright when in flower, then reflexing again in fruit.
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Common Upright-chickweed Moenchia erecta
Native to western and southern Europe and the Mediterranean Region. A tiny, more or less hairless and slightly bluish species, easily told from similar species by the broad white edges to the sepals. Flowers with four petals.
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Greek Upright-chickweed Moenchia graeca
Native to the Balkan Peninsula and Aegean Islands. Flowers with five petals.
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Large Upright-chickweed Moenchia mantica
Native from the Alps South-eastward through the Balkan Peninsula to Turkey. Larger and taller than the other upright-chickweeds, with petals longer than sepals and flowering stems branched.
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Woolly Mouse-ear Cerastium comatum
Native to the eastern Mediterranean. Whole plant covered in long, patent hairs. Bracts leafy.
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Sticky Mouse-ear Cerastium glomeratum
Native across Europe and the Mediterranean Region, eastwards to China. Flower bracts all green, without membranous margins.
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Little Mouse-ear Cerastium semidecandrum
Native throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region to western Asia. A small to very small, annual species. Flower bracts with very broad and obvious, membranous margin; flowerheads at first dense, becoming more open with age; flowers with only five stamens (other mouse-ears have 10). Petals narrow and noticeably shorter than sepals.
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Dwarf Mouse-ear Cerastium pumilum
Native throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Region, eastwards to Pakistan. A small to very small, annual species. Flower bracts with a relatively narrow membranous margin. Petals at least as long as sepals.
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