Stellaria palustris Ehrh. ex Retz.

Stellaria species are annual or perennial herbs, usually caespitose. Stem erect, decumbent or ascending, simple or diffusely branched, slightly quadrangular or terete, glabrous or pubescent, not glandular, rooting at nodes, rootstock slender, long, stout and sometimes rhizomatous in perennials. Leaves simple, opposite, linear lanceolate to obovate-spathulate, margin entire, apex acute to obtuse, 1 veined, succulent or not, petiole short or usually sessile, stipules absent. Inflorescence usually dichasial cymes or rarely solitary, terminal or supra-axillary. Flowers bisexual, hypogynous or weaky perigynous, pedicel erect, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes reflexed in fruit, bracts paired rarely 1 or absent, foliaceous, margins scarious, sepals 4-5, lanceolate-ovate, herbaceous, green sometimes with purplish tinge, margins scarious, apex acute to obtuse, petals 4-5, oblanceolate to obovate, white, creamish, limb bi-fid from the base up to middle sometimes, margins entire, apex emarginated or entire, sometimes absent. Stamens 5-10 or less, inserted from carpophore, filaments distinct, staminodes absent, nectarines present at filament bases. Ovary superior, unilocular rarely trilocular, ovules many, style 3 rarely 2-5, glabrous, stigma 3 rarely 2-5, minutely papillae. Fruit capsule, obovoid-globose, dehiscing with 3-6 valves or splitting into 6-8 equal teeth, or opening by twice the number of styles present. Seeds 1 to many, reniform or globose, compressed laterally, tuberculate or smooth, yellowish brown to dark brown, marginal wings absent, embryo annular.

Stellaria species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: July-September.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Perennial herbs, about 10-30 cm tall, densely caespitose or tufted. Stem slender, erect or suberect or ascending, much branched from the base, flowering shoots slender and brittle, slightly quadrangular or terete, grayish green, glabrous or papillose, rooting at nodes, rootstock slender, long, stout. Leaves simple, opposite, linear lanceolate or linear, about 15-50 x 2-4 mm across, base rounded, margin entire, apex acuminate, 1 veined, grayish green, glabrous on both sides, except on the midrib beneath where it sparsely papillose, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, petiole sessile, stipules absent. Inflorescence in dichasial cymes of 1-3 flowers or solitary, terminal, peduncles up to 10 cm long. Flowers bisexual, about 1.2-1.6 cm across, pedicel erect, slender, about 3-6 cm long, bracts paired, foliaceous, sepals 5, lanceolate-ovate, triveined, herbaceous, base truncate, margins membranous, apex acute, persistent, about 5-6 mm long, petals 5, slightly longer than sepals, creamish, limb bi-fid from the base, margins entire. Stamens 8, shorter than the sepals, filaments distinct. Ovary superior, ovoid, unilocular rarely trilocular, ovules many, style 3, glabrous, filiform about 3 mm long. Fruit capsule, obovoid-globose, shorter than sepals, dehiscing with 6 valves, or opening by twice the number of styles present. Seeds reniform or globose, about 0.7-1 mm across, compressed laterally, reddish brown, tuberculate.

Stellaria species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Grassy meadows in Himalayas, altitude up to 3900 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).