Stellaria L.
Annual or perennial herbs. Hairs usually sparse and eglandular, or 0. Lvs opposite, exstipulate, sessile or petiolate, glabrous or ciliate, linear, lanceolate, ovate or orbicular. Infl. a dichasium or reduced to 1-2 fls; bracts scarious to herbaceous; epicalyx 0. Sepals 5, free, not veined or (1)-3-veined. Petals white, divided almost to base, rarely 0. Stamens 10 or fewer. Styles 3. Fr. a capsule, usually ovoid, sometimes globose or cylindric, dehiscing by 6 teeth; carpophore 0. Seeds usually 4-10, ovoid, flattened, tuberculate or papillate, not winged.
Key
Lvs usually green, rarely glaucescent, not or only slightly fleshy; sepals 2-7 mm long; petals <, =, or > sepals
Bracts, and usually calyx, ciliate; lvs (10)-15-30-(80) mm long; sepals 4-7 mm long, < or = petals
Pedicels glabrous; lf margins glabrous, or sparsely ciliate at base; petals 4-9 mm long, = or only slightly > sepals
8
Plant perennial, wiry, yellowish green; stems usually with fine short hairs, rarely glabrous; peduncles (20)-30-60 mm long; fls 6-10 mm diam.; petals = or > sepals
Plant annual, soft, green or glaucescent; stems glabrous; peduncles 3-10 mm long; fls 1-3 mm diam.; petals 0
120 spp., cosmopolitan. Native spp. 5, naturalised 4.
