Stellaria corei

Plants perennial, rhizomatous. Stems erect, branched, square, 10–40 cm, with alternating lines of soft, spreading, flexuous, mainly eglandular hairs. Leaves petiolate (proximal) or subsessile (distal); blade elliptic, broadly lanceolate to ovate, 1–5 cm × 5–16 mm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, glabrous, sparsely pubescent adaxially on midrib. Inflorescences terminal, 3–7-flowered, cymes dichotomously branched; bracts foliaceous, lanceolate, 5–30 mm, soft, margins entire, distal ones ciliate on margins and adaxial vein. Pedicels erect, 5–45 mm, softly pubescent. Flowers 10–16 mm diam.; sepals 5, obscurely veined, narrowly triangular, (5–) 7–10 (–12) mm, margins narrow, membranous, apex acuminate, glabrous or with shortly ciliate margins; petals 5, equaling to slightly shorter than sepals; stamens 10; styles 3, ascending, ca. 2.5 mm. Capsules straw colored to pale-brown, broadly ovoid, ca. 5 mm, shorter than sepals, apex obtuse, opening by 3 valves; carpophore absent. Seeds brown, broadly reniform, ca. 2 mm diam., coarsely sulcate-papillate. 2n = 60.

Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Rocky woods
Elevation: 300-1000 m

Ala., Conn., Ind., Ky., Miss., N.C., Ohio, Pa., Tenn., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Stellaria corei has been introduced in Connecticut. It is very similar to S. pubera but differs in its long-acuminate sepals.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa