Key to Stellaria

View taxon page for Stellaria

(For a list of species in Stellaria, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Annual, from slender to thread-like taproot

2. Leaves crowded near base, upper lance-linear (to ovate); 

internode 

Segment of an axis (generally a stem) between successive positions (nodes) from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

 hairs 0 or scattered; bracts scarious ..... S. nitens

2' Leaves ± evenly spaced, ± 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

; internode hairs in line; bracts leaf-like

3. Sepals 2–3 mm, < 4 mm in fruit; petals 0; seeds 0.7–0.8 mm, yellow- to light red-brown ..... S. pallida

3' Sepals 3–6 mm, > 6 mm in fruit; petals generally present; seeds 0.9–1.7 mm, dark red- or purple-brown to brown

4. Sepals 3–4.5 mm; seeds 0.9–1.3 mm, tubercles rounded ..... S. media

4' Sepals 5–6 mm; seeds 1.1–1.7 mm, tubercles conical, especially on margin ..... S. neglecta

1' Perennial herb, from slender rhizomes

5. Plant covered (except ± leaves) with long wavy hairs – coastal ± marshes, bluffs, NCo, CCo ..... S. littoralis

5' Plant glabrous or hairs restricted to stem or 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

margin

6. Petals >= sepals

7. Inflorescence ± narrow; 

pedicels 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

to 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

; flowers generally 1–7 ..... S. longipes subsp. longipes

7' Inflorescence open, branches widely 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

; pedicels spreading or 

reflexed 

Abruptly bent or curved downward or backward.

; flowers generally many

8. Sepals 4–5.5 mm, margin densely 

ciliate 

Having generally straight, conspicuous hairs along margins or edges.

or not; inflorescence terminal; seeds with prominent, elongate tubercles; leaf margin ± not 

papillate 

Pertaining to a surface (e.g., of a leaf, stigma, fruit) bearing small, rounded or conic protuberances (papillae).

, shiny ..... S. graminea

8' Sepals 3–4 mm, margin ± glabrous; inflorescence lateral; seeds minutely roughened; leaf margin papillate, dull ..... S. longifolia

6' Petals < 0.8 × sepals or 0

9. Flowers few (alpine) to many, in umbel-like 

cyme 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the central or uppermost flower opens before the peripheral or lowermost flowers on any axis. see 2. In Asteraceae and some other groups, a cyme-like inflorescence is one in which the central or uppermost inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae, umbels enclosed by involucres in Eriogonum), instead of individual flowers, develop and mature before the peripheral or lowermost inflorescence units on any axis.

; bracts scarious; pedicels in fruit spreading to reflexed; petals 0 ..... S. umbellata

9' Flowers 1 in axils or few to many in terminal cyme; bracts leaf-like; pedicels in fruit spreading to 

recurved 

Gradually curved downward or backward.

or reflexed; petals present or 0

10. Flowers 1 in axils; petals generally 0; leaf ± ovate ..... S. crispa

10' Flowers generally few to many in terminal or 

axillary 

Pertaining to or within an axil, especially a leaf axil.

 

cymes 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the central or uppermost flower opens before the peripheral or lowermost flowers on any axis. see 2. In Asteraceae and some other groups, a cyme-like inflorescence is one in which the central or uppermost inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae, umbels enclosed by involucres in Eriogonum), instead of individual flowers, develop and mature before the peripheral or lowermost inflorescence units on any axis.

; petals generally present; leaf 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

to ovate

11. Leaf ± lanceolate to widely so, primary blades mostly > 2 cm, margin papillate, dull; 

internodes 

Segment of an axis (generally a stem) between successive positions (nodes) from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

generally finely papillate; sepals 3–3.5 mm, in fruit < 4.5 mm, with generally 3 ribs; styles generally 0.9–1.6 mm, slender, straight (often contorted on dried specimens) ..... S. borealis subsp. sitchana

11' Leaf 

elliptic 

In the shape of a flattened circle or ellipse; wider than linear

to ovate, primary blades mostly < 2 cm, margin ± not papillate, shiny; internodes not papillate; sepals 1.5–2.5 mm, in fruit < 3 mm, with generally 1–3 obscure veins; styles generally 0.5–0.9 mm, thick, outcurved ..... S. calycantha

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