Stellaria apetala

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Stellaria apetala
Stellaria apetala plant.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Stellaria
Species:
S. apetala
Binomial name
Stellaria apetala
Ucria
Synonyms
List
  • Alsine glabellaJord. & Fourr.
  • Alsine pallida Dumort.
  • Stellaria abortivaGay
  • Stellaria boraeanaJord.
  • Stellaria homotrichaBég.
  • Stellaria pallida(Dumort.) Crép.
  • Stellularia abortiva(Gay) Kuntze
  • Stellularia media var. apetala(Ucria) Doell. ex Kuntze

Stellaria apetala (syn. S. pallida), lesser chickweed, is an annual herbaceous plant in the flowering plant family Caryophyllaceae. It occurs in short, sandy grassland by the sea and, less often, in similar habitat inland. It is native to Europe and is well established as an introduced species worldwide.

Contents

Description

Lesser chickweed is a low-growing, patch-forming annual herb with a distinctly yellowish-green colour. It has a dense, spreading root mat which makes it difficult to dislodge from the ground. The stems, which are sometimes tinged purple, spread out along the ground without rooting at the nodes, and lengthen to about 10 cm long. They are terete and glabrous, with a single line of hairs down one side, which alternates at the nodes. The leaves are opposite, pale green and ovate, 4-7 mm long by 2-3 mm wide, with a pale green or sometimes purple hydathode at the pointed tip and stomata on both sides. The petioles are flattened, hairy and about 3-5 mm long, except at the tip of the stem, where the leaves appear sessile. [1] [2]

A flower with petals Stellaria apetala petals.jpg
A flower with petals
The sepals sometimes have a narrow scarious margin towards the tips Stellaria apetala scarious margins.jpg
The sepals sometimes have a narrow scarious margin towards the tips

Flowering occurs in the early spring, February-May in Northern Europe. [3] The inflorescences are terminal and consist of a short cyme of up to six flowers, which are small, 2–3 mm in diameter. There are four or five hairy oval/lanceolate green sepals 2–3.5 mm long. Most flowers have no petals at all, but a small proportion have five deeply bifid green/scarious petals about 1 mm longer than the sepals, which never open widely. There are usually between one and three stamens, sometimes none, with grey-violet anthers, and three styles. [2] [4]

Flowers typically have three or fewer stamens Stellaria apetala stamens.jpg
Flowers typically have three or fewer stamens

The fruits are formed a week or two after flowering and consist of an oval green capsule about 3 mm long, which remains surrounded by the sepals. Each fruit contains about 6-8 yellowish-brown disc-shaped seeds which are released when the tip of the fruit opens by six spreading teeth. The seeds are 0.5–0.8 mm in diameter, with a ring of small, blunt tubercles around the rim. [5] [6] [7] [2]

Stellaria apetala is self-pollinating and, because the flowers do not open widely, is often cleistogamous. [5]

Taxonomy

Stellaria apetala forms part of a complex that also includes S. media and S. neglecta . It was first described by Ucria in 1796. [8] In 1828, Du Mortier, describing a form found in Belgium, applied the name Alsine pallida, which Piré (1863) transferred to the genus Stellaria. [9]

The taxonomic status of Stellaria apetala(Dumort.) Piré has been confused. Dandy (1958) and Clapham, Tutin and Warburg (1962) adopted the name Stellaria pallida [10] [5] but while Clapham et al. treated S. apetalaUcria as a synonym, Dandy considered this to be a synonym of S. mediaL., as also did Chater and Heywood. [11] Whitehead and Sinha, having failed to locate any specimens matching the description in the Flora Europaea , concluded that S. apetalaUcria or S. apetalaauct. could be regarded as synonyms of S. pallida(Dumort.) Piré. [9] Stellaria pallida is now considered as a junior synonym of Stellaria apetala. [8]

Its chromosome number is 2n = 22. [4]

The name Stellaria is from the Latin "stella", for a star, and describes the appearance of the flowers of plants in this genus (not so much this particular species). The prefix "a-" derives from the Ancient Greek, and means "without" or "lacking" and therefore refers to the absence of petals in most specimens. The synonym pallida comes from the Latin pallens, pallidus = pale, and is most likely a reference to the yellowish colour of the foliage. [12]

Identification

Lesser chickweed is easily confused with common chickweed, especially small plants without petals (Stellaria media var. apetalaGaudin). The only certain way to separate them is by a chromosome count, but the following field characters are useful. Lesser chickweed is yellowish, not bright green; the sepals are only up to 3 (not 5) mm long; it has 3 or fewer stamens (media has 3-10); the fruiting capsules are less than 5 mm long; the fruiting pedicels are short and not reflexed; and the ripe seeds are less than 0.9 mm long. [4] [1] [3]

Stellaria apetala veins.jpg Stellaria media veins.jpg
The leaves of lesser chickweed (left) have only one prominent vein, whilst common chickweed (right) has several lateral veins
Lesser chickweed has a distinctive yellow/green colour Stellaria apetala habitat.jpg
Lesser chickweed has a distinctive yellow/green colour
The leaves are oval with a prominent midrib and a pointed tip Stellaria apetala leaf.jpg
The leaves are oval with a prominent midrib and a pointed tip
Fruits and seeds Stellaria apetala fruit.jpg
Fruits and seeds

Distribution and status

Stellaria apetala has a widespread, though local, distribution across Europe, from southern Spain and the Mediterranean islands to Lapland, and from the British Isles to Ukraine. [7] [13] In North America it is found as an introduced species from Ontario, Canada, to Mexico and throughout the United States, from the east coast (Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Florida) to the west coast (California and Washington). [6] [4] It is also established in many other countries worldwide. [14]

In the European Union its threat status has not yet been evaluated, [15] but in Britain it has been designated "Least Concern." [16]

Habitat and ecology

The main habitat for this species is in sandy and gravelly grassland close to the shore. [17] It grows on well-drained soils and is able to withstand a fair amount of trampling and grazing. Away from the sea it occurs in sandy areas and is found on woodland rides, waste ground and eroded hillsides. In Europe it is often found growing under the shade of Scots Pine in woodland on light glacial sands, [9] whereas in Britain it often occurs in the distinctive U1 Rumex acetosella grassland, where it is sometimes considered an axiophyte of species-rich habitat. [18] [19]

Lightly trampled woodland rides are a typical habitat Stellaria apetala Perry Wood.jpg
Lightly trampled woodland rides are a typical habitat

The flowers are cleistogamous and are not visited by pollinating insects. The UK's Database of Insects and their Food Plants lists no species that feed on lesser chickweed, although there are several Diptera and other insects which are known to attack chickweeds ( Stellaria spp.) generally. [20]

Its Ellenberg values in Britain are L = 7, F = 4, R = 4, N = 4, and S = 0. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caryophyllaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

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<i>Stellaria</i> Genus of flowering plants in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae

Stellaria is a genus of about 190 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common names include starwort, stitchwort and chickweed.

<i>Anemonoides nemorosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

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<i>Tuberaria guttata</i> Species of flowering plants in the rock rose family Cistaceae

Tuberaria guttata, the spotted rock-rose or annual rock-rose, is an annual plant of the Mediterranean region which also occurs very locally in Wales and Ireland. The flowers are very variable with the characteristic spot at the base of the petal very variable in size and intensity of colour.

<i>Stellaria media</i> Species of flowering plant (chickweed)

Stellaria media, chickweed, is an annual flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized throughout the world, where it is a weed of waste ground, farmland and gardens. It is sometimes grown as a salad crop or for poultry consumption.

<i>Anemonastrum canadense</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonastrum canadense, synonym Anemone canadensis, the Canada anemone, round-headed anemone, round-leaf thimbleweed, meadow anemone, windflower, or crowfoot, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. It is native to moist meadows, thickets, streambanks, and lakeshores in North America, spreading rapidly by underground rhizomes. It is valued for its white flowers.

<i>Cerastium glomeratum</i> Species of flowering plant in the pink family Caryophyllaceae

Cerastium glomeratum is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names sticky mouse-ear chickweed and clammy chickweed. It is native to Europe, Macaronesia to Assam but is known on most continents as an introduced species. It grows in many types of habitat. The blooming period is February, March, April, and May.

<i>Stellaria graminea</i> Species of flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae

Stellaria graminea is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names common starwort, grass-leaved stitchwort, lesser stitchwort and grass-like starwort.

<i>Cerastium fontanum</i> Species of flowering plant in the pink family Caryophyllaceae

Cerastium fontanum, also called mouse-ear chickweed, common mouse-ear, or starweed, is a species of mat-forming perennial or, rarely, annual plant. It is native to Europe but introduced elsewhere. Its identifying characteristics are tear-shaped leaves growing opposite one another in a star pattern, hairy leaves, and small white flowers. Mouse-ear chickweed typically grows to 4"-8" tall and spreads horizontally along the ground via the formation of roots wherever the stem falls over and contacts the ground.

<i>Stellaria neglecta</i> Species of flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae

Stellaria neglecta, greater chickweed, is an annual to short-lived herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia, where it grows in hedges and woodland margins on neutral to slightly acid, damp soils, and is widespread but rarely abundant. It has been introduced to North America, where it has been spreading in recent decades.

<i>Stellaria nitens</i> Species of flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae

Stellaria nitens is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names shiny chickweed and shining starwort. It is native to western North America, including British Columbia, Alberta, and the western United States, its distribution extending into Mexico at least as far as Baja California. It grows in many types of habitat, in dry and moist areas, and sometimes in disturbed places. It is an annual herb producing a slender, upright, four-angled stem from a thin taproot, reaching up to about 25 centimeters in height. Most of the leaves are located low on the stem, each measuring up to 1.5 centimeters long, with smaller, narrower leaves occurring above. The leaves are hairless except for some rough hairs along the margins, and the blades have shiny surfaces. The inflorescence bears a few flowers on short pedicels. The flower has five pointed sepals each a few millimeters long. There are sometimes five tiny white petals as well, though these are often absent.

<i>Stellaria obtusa</i> Species of flowering plant

Stellaria obtusa is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Rocky Mountain chickweed, blunt-sepaled starwort, and obtuse starwort. It is native to western North America, from British Columbia and Alberta to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist areas in forests and on mountain slopes.

<i>Lysimachia foemina</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Stellaria alsine</i> Species of flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae

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<i>Stellaria pungens</i> Species of plant

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Stellaria corei, with the common names of Tennessee chickweed, star chickweed, Tennessee starwort, and Tennessee stitchwort, is a species of flowering plant native to parts of Eastern USA.

<i>Guichenotia apetala</i> Species of flowering plant

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References

  1. 1 2 Poland, John; Clement, Eric (2009). The Vegetative Key to the British Flora. Southampton: John Poland. ISBN   978-0-9560144-0-5.
  2. 1 2 3 Stace, C.A. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles. Suffolk. ISBN   978-1-5272-2630-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 Rich, T.C.G.; Jermy, A.C. (1998). Plant Crib 1998. London: Botanical Society of the British Isles. ISBN   0-901-158-28-3.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Morton, J. K. (March–April 1972). "On the occurrence of Stellaria pallida in North America". Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. Torrey Botanical Society. 99 (2): 95–103. doi:10.2307/2484204. JSTOR   2484204.
  5. 1 2 3 Clapham, Arthur Roy; Tutin, Thomas Gaskell; Warburg, E F (1962). Flora of the British Isles (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-26962-8.
  6. 1 2 Flora of North America: north of Mexico. Oxford University Press. p. 110.
  7. 1 2 Bojňanský, Vít; Fargašová, Agáta (2007). Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora: The Carpathian Mountains Region. Springer. ISBN   978-1-4020-5361-0.
  8. 1 2 "Stellaria apetala Ucria | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  9. 1 2 3 Whitehead, F. H.; R. P. Sinha (October 1967). "Taxonomy and Taximetrics of Stellaria media (L.) Vill., S. neglecta Weihe and S. pallida (Dumort.) Pire". New Phytologist. Blackwell Publishing. 66 (4): 769–784. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1967.tb05444.x. JSTOR   2430464.
  10. ↑ Dandy, James Edgar (1958). List of British Vascular Plants. London: British Museum.
  11. ↑ Chater, A O; Heywood, V H (1964). Flora Europaea . Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. pp. 134–135. ISBN   0-521-08717-1.
  12. ↑ Stearn, William T. (1980). Botanical Latin: History, Grammar, Syntax, Terminology and Vocabulary. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN   0-7153-5645-3.
  13. ↑ "Stellaria pallida (Dumort.) Pire" . Retrieved 2010-08-13.
  14. ↑ Global Biodiversity Information Facility. "Stellaria apetala Bernardino".
  15. ↑ European Nature Information System. "Stellaria pallida (Dumort.) Piré" . Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  16. ↑ Cheffings, C.M.; Farrell, L. (2005). The Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain. Peterborough: Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
  17. ↑ Preston, C.D.; Pearman, D.A.; Dines, T.D. (2002). New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  18. ↑ Lockton, Alex; Whild, Sarah (2015). The Flora and Vegetation of Shropshire. Montford Bridge: Shropshire Botanical Society.
  19. ↑ Trueman, I.C.; Poulton, M.W.; Hodder, M. (2023). The Flora of Sutton Park. Newbury: Pisces Publications. ISBN   978-1-913994-09-9.
  20. ↑ Pitkin, B.; Ellis, W.; Plant, C.; Edmunds, R. "The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects".
  21. ↑ Hill, M.O.; Mountford, J.O.; Roy, D.B.; Bunce, R.G.H. (1999). Ellenberg's indicator values for British plants. ECOFACT Volume 2. Technical Annex (PDF). Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. ISBN   1870393481 . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
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