Stellaria umbellata

Illustrator: Bee F. Gunn

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Plants perennial, forming small clumps or mats, rarely long-straggling, from slender rhizomes. Stems erect, branched at base, 4-angled, 5–20 cm (rarely to 40 cm when long and straggling), glabrous. Leaves spatulate-petiolate (proximal) or sessile (distal), bases clasping, connate around stem, ciliate; blade elliptic to lanceolate, 3–9 cm × 1–3 mm, somewhat succulent, base round to cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, glabrous. Inflorescences terminal, (1–)2–ca. 21-flowered, subumbellate, often with 1 or 2 axillary flowers below; bracts lanceolate, 1–7 mm, distal ones entire, scarious, proximal ones usually herbaceous. Pedicels sharply deflexed at base, often curved distally in fruit, 7–20 mm, glabrous. Flowers ca. 2 mm diam.; sepals 5, 3-veined, lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm, margins narrow, scarious, apex obtuse, glabrous; petals absent; stamens 5; styles 3, ascending, curled, ca. 0.25 mm. Capsules straw colored, conic, 3–4.5 mm, exceeding sepals, apex obtuse, opening by 6 valves; carpophore absent. Seeds brownish, round, 0.5–0.7 mm diam., shallowly rugose. 2n = 26.

Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Moist meadows, rocky summits, gravelly stream- and roadsides
Elevation: 1000-2800 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo., Asia.

Discussion

Selected References

Boivin, B. 1956. Stellaria sectio Umbellatae Schischkin (Caryophyllaceae). Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 50: 113–114.

Lower Taxa

None.