Stellaria media (L.) Vill.

First published in Hist. Pl. Dauphiné 3: 615 (1789)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. Eurasia, N. & NE. Tropical Africa. It is an annual or biennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2016) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 1: Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Annuals
Morphology Stem
Stems 10–35 cm, decumbent or prostrate to ascending, usually with single line of eglandular hairs, sometimes glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Lower leaves petiolate, cordate to ovate, lamina 3–10 × 3–8 mm; petiole glabrous to sparsely ciliate; upper leaves larger, petiolate to sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence usually lax
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels filiform, to 20 mm, glabrous to sparsely ciliate, longer than sepals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 3–7 mm, lanceolate, glabrous or hairy with scarious margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals deeply bilobed, shorter than sepals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3–7
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule narrowly ovoid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown, tubarculate.
Ecology
Cultivated fields, ruderal places, stream sides, loam soil in woodlands; alt. 300–2700 m;
Phenology
Flowering: Mar.– May.
Distribution
Iraq: Alluvial plain and lower forest zones. Cosmopolitan in temperate regions.
[FIQ]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 2300 - 3700 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
berros, pajarera, yerba de pájaro
[UNAL]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2300–3700 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca, Nariño, Quindío, Santander.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Common Chickweed

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0