| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual, biennial, perennial herb, rarely dioecious, taprooted or rhizome generally slender
Leaves simple, generally opposite; stipules generally 0; petiole generally 0; blade entire, sheath generally 0
Inflorescence: cyme, generally open; flowers few–many or flower solitary and axillary; involucre generally 0
Flower generally bisexual, radial; hypanthium sometimes present; sepals generally 5, ± free or fused into a tube, tube generally herbaceous between lobes or teeth; awns generally 0; petals generally 5 or 0, generally tapered to base (or with claw long, blade expanded), entire to 2–several-lobed, blade generally without scale-like appendages (inner surface), generally without ear-like lobes at base; stamens generally 10, generally fertile, generally free, generally from ovary base; nectaries generally 0; ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, placentas basal or free-central, styles 2–5 or 1 and 2–3-branched
Fruit: capsule or utricle (rarely modified, dehiscent), generally sessile
Seeds: appendage generally 0
Genera in family: 85 genera, 2400 species: widespread, especially arctic, alpine, temp, n hemisphere; some cultivated (Agrostemma, Arenaria, Cerastium, Dianthus, Gypsophila, Lychnis, Saponaria, Silene, Vaccaria ).
Perennial, sprawling to erect, rhizomed, with spheric to elongate, tuber-like thickenings 3–12 mm diam
Leaf: blade ± lanceolate; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal or axillary; flowers few–many; pedicels 5–30+ mm
Flower: hypanthium short, obscure; sepals 5, ± free, 3–6 mm, lanceolate to oblong-ovate, glandular-hairy; petals 5, 6–12 mm, shallowly 2-lobed; stamens arising from a narrow disk; styles generally 3, 4–4.5 mm
Fruit: capsule, spheric; valves recurved to rolled under
Seeds 1–2, reddish brown
Species in genus: 16 species: North America, Eur, c&e Asia
Etymology: (Latin: false Stellaria , from incorrect placement of sp.)
Reference: [Weber & Hartman 1979 Phytologia 44:313–314]
| Native |
Plant 12–45 cm, glandular-hairy, especially below
Stem simple to much-branched, ascending to erect, 4-angled
Leaves 15–100 mm, ± smaller above, thick; margin ± smooth to roughened
Inflorescence: bracts leafy; pedicels ± straight, ascending to spreading
Flower often cleistogamous in lower leaf axils
Seed 2–3.4 mm; tubercles ± prominent, elongate
Chromosomes: 2n=±96
Ecology: Meadows, dry understory of coniferous forest
Elevation: 1400–2700 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, High North Coast Ranges, High Cascade Range, c&s Sierra Nevada Foothills, High Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountain Area, Western Transverse Ranges, Modoc Plateau
Distribution outside California: to Washington, Montana, New Mexico
Synonyms: Stellaria j. Torr