Species: Stellaria media

English Name: Common Chickweed

Chinese Name: 繁縷

Family: Caryophyllaceae

Description:
Herbs annual, biennial, or perennial. Stems decumbent or ascending, pale purplish, 10–30 cm tall, sparsely branched at base, with 1(or 2) lines of hairs. Basal leaves long petiolate, distal leaves sessile or shortly petiolate; leaf blade broadly ovate to ovate-orbicular, 0.8–2.5 × (0.5–)1–1.5 cm, base narrowed or cordate, apex acuminate or acute. Flowers in sparse terminal or axillary cymes. Pedicel 0.7–1.4 cm, elongate and nodding after anthesis, slender, with 1 line of hairs. Sepals 5, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-oblong, ca. 2–2.5 or 4 mm, outside glandular pubescent, margin broadly membranous, apex slightly obtuse or nearly rounded. Petals oblong, shorter than or subequaling sepals, 2-cleft nearly to base; lobes nearly linear. Stamens 3–5, shorter than petals. Styles 3, linear. Capsule ovoid, slightly longer than persistent sepals, 6-valved. Seeds numerous, red-brown, ovoid to compressed globose, 1–1.2 mm in diam., semiglobose-tuberculate or curved reticulate. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 40, 42, 44.

Photos used under a Creative Commons license

References:

– Wu ZY, Raven PH, Hong DY (eds) (2001). Flora of China, Volume 6: Caryophyllaceae through Lardizabalaceae. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Bot Garden Press, St. Louis