Stellaria obtusa

Engelmann

Bot. Gaz. 7: 5. 1882.

Common names: Blunt-sepaled starwort Rocky Mountain starwort
Endemic
Synonyms: Alsine obtusa (Engelmann) Rose Alsine viridula Piper Alsine washingtoniana (B. L. Robinson) A. Heller Stellaria viridula (Piper) St. John Stellaria washingtoniana B. L. Robinson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 110. Mentioned on page 97, 98.

Plants perennial, creeping, often matted but not forming cushions, rhizomatous. Stems prostrate, branched, 4-sided, 3–23 cm, internodes equaling or longer than leaves, glabrous, rarely pilose. Leaves sessile or short-petiolate; blade broadly ovate to elliptic, 0.2–1.2 cm × 0.9–7 mm, base round or cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, shiny, glabrous or ciliate near base. Inflorescences with flowers solitary, axillary; bracts absent. Pedicels spreading, 3–12 mm, glabrous. Flowers 1.5–2 mm diam.; sepals 4–5, veins obscure, midrib sometimes apparent, ± ovate, 1.5–3.5 mm, margins narrow, scarious, apex ± obtuse, glabrous; petals absent; stamens 10 or fewer; styles 3 (–4), curled, shorter than 0.5 mm. Capsules green to pale straw colored, translucent, globose to broadly ovoid, 2.3–3.5 mm, 1.9–2 times as long as sepals, apex obtuse, opening by 6 valves; carpophore absent. Seeds grayish black, broadly elliptic, 0.5–0.7 mm diam., finely reticulate. 2n = 26, 52, ca. 65, ca. 78.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Moist areas in woods, shaded edges of creeks, talus slopes
Elevation: 300-3400 m

Distribution

V5 230-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"-2timesaslongassepals" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Stellaria obtusa"
78 +, 65 +, 52 +  and 26 +
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
glabrous +  and ciliate +
obtuse;obtuse;acute +
John K. Morton +
Engelmann +
cuneate;round +
Laciniate (?) +, Emarginate (?) +, Jagged (?) +, 2-fid (?) +  and Entire (?) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
broadly ovate +  and elliptic +
not +  and succulent +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
reduced +
green;pale straw colored +
ascending;recurved +
10 +, 8 +  and 4 +
globose;broadly ovoid +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
Blunt-sepaled starwort +  and Rocky Mountain starwort +
umbellate +  and open +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
300-3400 m +
straight +  and curved +
central +  and peripheral +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +
inconspicuous +
stalked +  and simple +
Moist areas in woods, shaded edges of creeks, talus slopes +
pilose +  and glabrous +
short-petiolate +  and sessile +
connate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
swollen +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
fugacious +
not clawed +
Flowering late spring–summer. +
grayish black +
0.5mm;0.7mm +
rugose +  and papillate +
compressed +, globose +  and ellipsoid +
red +, purple-tinged +  and green +
persistent +
distinct +
4 +  and 5 +
lanceolate;ovate-triangular +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
prostrate;ascending or erect +
4-angled;terete +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (23 cm230 mm <br />0.23 m <br />) +
subterminal +  and terminal +
[30 +  and 3 +
papillate +
distinct +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
Alsine obtusa +, Alsine viridula +, Alsine washingtoniana +, Stellaria viridula +  and Stellaria washingtoniana +
rooting +  and rhizomatous +
Stellaria obtusa +
Stellaria +
species +
divided +
10 +  and 8 +
plant +  and matted +
pubescence of simple hairs or stalked glands +  and glabrous +
15 +, 13 +, 12 +, 11 +  and 10 +