Stellaria L.

6. Stellaria L. View in CoL 1

Annual or perennial herbs. Inflorescence usually a dichasium; flowers rarely solitary or 2 together; bracts scarious or herbaceous. Sepals 5; petals 5 or fewer, or absent, white, rarely greenish, usually deeply bifid; stamens 10(11) or fewer or absent; nectaries usually present; styles 3. Fruit a globose to cylindrical capsule, dehiscing with 6 teeth usually to about the middle.

1 At least the lower leaves distinctly petiolate; leaves never linear-lanceolate or linear

2 Stemshairyallround

3 Petalsequalling or slightlyexceeding sepals(3-5).mediagroup 3 Petals about twice as long as sepals

4 Sepals broadly ovate, pubescent beneath all over, margins narrowly scarious; ripe capsule equalling or only slightly exceeding sepals 2. bungeana 4 Sepals lanceolate, pubescent only at base, margins broadly scarious; ripe capsule l |- 2 times as long as sepals

1. nemorum 2 Stems witha singlelineof hairsdowneachinternode,rarely with 2 lines or glabrous

5 Stems quadrangular;bractsscarious 7. alsine 5 Stems terete;bractsherbaceous (3-5). media group 1 All leaves sessile

6 Bracts herbaceous

7 Petalsbifid to abouthalf-wayor less

8 Leaves 30-80 mm 6. holostea 8 Leaves not more than 10 mm (11-13). longipes group 7 Petalsbifid almostto thebase

9 Bracts and leaves ciliate; largest leaves usually 15 mm or more 15. calycantha 9 Bracts and leaves not ciliate; leaves usually less than 15 mm

10 Leaves 2-8 mm; sepals 3 -5-6 mm, equalling ripe capsule; seeds ± smooth 17. humifusa 10 Leaves 6—15(—25) mm; sepals 2-3 mm, shorter than ripe capsule; seeds rugose 16. crassifolia 6 Bractsscarious,withgreenmidrib,or entirelyscarious

11 Angles of upper part of stems and margins of leaves rough with papillae

12 Sepals 5-7 mm; petals equalling or up to twice as long as sepals 8. palustris 12 Sepals 2-4 mm; petals equalling sepals 14. longifolia

11 Stems and margins of leaves smooth 13Leaves elliptic, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, usually less than 15 mm 14 Stems terete; leaves thick, rigid (11-13). longipes group 14 Stems quadrangular; leaves thin 15 Sepals not ciliate; ripe capsule pale brown (not Arctic) 7. alsine 15 Sepals ciliate; ripe capsule dark brown or blackish (Arctic) (11-13). longipes group 13 Leaves attenuate-triangular to linear-lanceolate, usually more than 15 mm 16 Sepals pubescent beneath towards apex 9. hebecalyx 16 Sepals glabrous (rarely puberulent) towards apex 17 Inflorescence usually 10- to 60-flowered; bracts usually ciliate 10. graminea 17 Inflorescence usually 2- to 9-flowered; bracts not ciliate 18 Sepals lanceolate, acute; plant usually more than 25 cm 8. palustris 18 Sepals ovate-lanceolate, obtuse; plant usually less than 25 cm (Arctic) (11-13). longipes group