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Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Image ID: 2012/yrt230
Other common names: Starwort
Introduced
Family:
Caryophyllaceae (Pink)
Height: 0.25 to 0.67 ft.
Blooms: February to
December
Leaf Type:
smooth
Bloom Size: 0.25 in. (typical)
Flower Description:
Individual flowers,
Regular blooms, 10 or more parts
Location: Youghiogheny River Trail
Date: 4/29/2012
Notes:
Actually only 5 petals, but they are so deeply incised that there appear to be 10
More photos of this flower
Chickweed may be
easily confused with:
- Carolina Whitlow-Grass
Chickweeds have five deeply incised petals, while whitlow-grasses have four.
- Lesser Stitchwort
Stitchworts have narrow leaves while leaves of chickweeds are ovate.
- Long-Leaved Stitchwort
Stitchworts have narrow leaves while leaves of chickweeds are ovate.
- Mouse-Ear Chickweed
Common chickweed has petals shorter than sepals. Leaves on mouse-ear chickweed are hairy and stemless.
- Star Chickweed
Flowers on star chickweed are about ½-inch across, while those on common chickweed are about ¼-inch.
- Whitlow Grass
Chickweeds have five deeply incised petals, while whitlow-grasses have four.
Folklore, History, and Other Facts
The following information is taken from my great-grandmother's copy of
The Herbalist (1918).
This information is presented for historic purposes only, as many remedies recommended by this book
are toxic!
We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've
grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.
