Stellaria

For the gastropod of Xenophoridae family, see Stellaria (gastropod).

Stellaria
Greater stitchwort, Stellaria holostea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Genus:	Stellaria Seguier

Stellaria is a genus of about 90-120 species flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common names include stitchwort and chickweed.

Food use

Chickweeds are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Angle Shades, Heart and Dart, Riband Wave, Setaceous Hebrew Character and the Coleophora case-bearers C. coenosipennella (feeds exclusively on Stellaria spp), C. lineolea (recorded on S. graminea), C. lithargyrinella (recorded on S. holostea), C. solitariella (feeds exclusively on S. holostea) and C. striatipennella.

Uses

Some species, including Stellaria media, are used as leaf vegetables, often raw in salads.

Stellaria media is widespread in North America from the Brooks Range in Alaska to all points south within North America. There are several closely related plants referred to as chickweed, but which lack the culinary and medicinal properties of plants in the genus Stellaria. Plants in the genus Cerastium are very similar in appearance to Stellaria and are in the same family (Carophyllaceae). Stellaria media can be easily distinguished from all other members of this family by examining the stems. Stellaria has fine hairs on only one side of the stem in a single band. Other members of the family Carophyllaceae which resemble Stellaria have hairs uniformly covering the entire stem. This is a favored food of finches and many other seed-eating birds.

Selected species

Lesser stitchwort, Stellaria graminea

Stellaria abortiva Stellaria alaschanica Stellaria alaskana Stellaria alsine Stellaria amblyosepala Stellaria americana Stellaria arenarioides Stellaria arisanensis Stellaria aquaticum - Water Chickweed Stellaria axillaris Stellaria bistyla Stellaria borealis Stellaria brachypetala Stellaria bungeana Stellaria calycantha Stellaria cherleriae Stellaria ciliatisepala Stellaria congestiflora Stellaria corei Stellaria crassifolia Stellaria crassipes Stellaria crispa Stellaria cuspidata Stellaria decumbens Stellaria delavayi Stellaria depressa Stellaria dianthifolia Stellaria dichotoma Stellaria dicranoides Stellaria discolor Stellaria ebracteata Stellaria fennica Stellaria filicaulis Stellaria flaccida - Forest Starwort Stellaria fontinalis Stellaria graminea - Lesser Stitchwort Stellaria gyangtseensis Stellaria gyirongensis Stellaria henryi Stellaria holostea - Greater Stitchwort Stellaria humifusa - Saltmarsh Starwort Stellaria imbricata Stellaria infracta Stellaria irrigua Stellaria lanata Stellaria lanipes

Stellaria littoralis Stellaria longifolia Stellaria longipes - Long-stalk Starwort Stellaria mainlingensis Stellaria martjanovii Stellaria media - Common Chickweed Stellaria monosperma Stellaria neglecta - Greater Chickweed Stellaria nemorum - Wood Stitchwort Stellaria nepalensis Stellaria nipponica Stellaria nitens Stellaria obtusa Stellaria omeiensis Stellaria ovatifolia Stellaria oxycoccoides Stellaria pallida - Lesser Chickweed Stellaria palustris - Marsh Stitchwort Stellaria parva Stellaria parviumbellata Stellaria patens Stellaria petiolaris Stellaria petraea Stellaria pilosoides Stellaria porsildii Stellaria pubera - Star Chickweed Stellaria pusilla Stellaria radians Stellaria reticulivena Stellaria rotundifolia Stellaria ruscifolia Stellaria salicifolia Stellaria soongorica Stellaria souliei Stellaria stenopetala Stellaria strongylosepala Stellaria subumbellata Stellaria tibetica Stellaria uda Stellaria uliginosa - Bog Stitchwort Stellaria umbellata Stellaria vestita Stellaria winkleri Stellaria wushanensis Stellaria yunnanensis Stellaria zangnanensis

References

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1