Stellaria
708967
208457477
2008-04-27T03:50:47Z
Matthewmurch
6983128
/* Uses */ birdfood
{{Taxobox
| name = ''Stellaria''
| image = Greater Stitchwort close 800.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = [[Stellaria holostea|Greater stitchwort]], ''Stellaria holostea''
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
| familia = [[Caryophyllaceae]]
| genus = '''''Stellaria'''''
| genus_authority = Seguier
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
}}
'''''Stellaria''''' is a [[genus]] of about 90-120 species [[flowering plant]]s in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Caryophyllaceae]], with a [[cosmopolitan distribution]]. Common names include '''stitchwort''' and '''chickweed'''.
==Food Use==
Chickweeds are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e 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 vegetable]]s, often raw in [[salad]]s.
[[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==
[[Image:Lesser Stitchwort close 800.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Lesser stitchwort, ''Stellaria graminea'']]
{|
|- valign=top
|
*''[[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 chinensis]]''
*''[[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 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==
{{reflist}}
Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1
[[Category:Caryophyllaceae]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Flora of the Eastern United States]]
[[ca:Stellaria]]
[[da:Fladstjerne]]
[[de:Sternmieren]]
[[es:Stellaria]]
[[eo:Stelario]]
[[fr:Stellaire]]
[[hsb:Hwězdnik]]
[[lt:Žliūgė]]
[[nl:Muur (geslacht)]]
[[ja:ハコベ]]
[[pl:Gwiazdnica]]
[[pt:Stellaria]]