common chickweed (Invasive Plants of Maryland)

common chickweed

Stellaria media

Description ⁹

This adventive annual plant produces stems about ½1' long that usually sprawl across the ground. It branches abundantly near the base, but very little toward the tips of the stems. The somewhat succulent stems are green or burgundy; they often have lines of white hairs. Pairs of opposite leaves occur at intervals along these stems. These leaves become larger toward the tips of the stems, spanning ½1" in length and ¼½" across. The leaves toward the base of the plant usually have short petioles that are slightly hairy, while the leaves near the tip of each stem are usually sessile. Each leave is more or less ovate, smooth along the margins, and hairless on the upper surface; the lower surface is occasionally hairy. Individual flowers occur from the axils of the outer pairs of leaves, while the stems terminate in small cymes of white flowers. Each flower is about ¼" across, consisting of 5 white bifid petals (appearing to be 10 petals), 5 green sepals, 3 white styles, 2-10 stamens, and a green ovary in the center. The sepals are lanceolate, hairy on the outer surface, and longer than the petals; each sepal is at least 1/8" long (about 3-5 mm.). The slender pedicels are finely pubescent. The blooming period occurs during the spring for plants that are winter annuals, and during the summer or fall for plants that are summer annuals. A typical plant will bloom sporadically for 1-2 months. Each flower is replaced by a seed capsule that is light brown with 6 small teeth along its upper rim; it contains several seeds. Each mature seed is dark reddish brown, somewhat flattened, and nearly orbicular; its surface has tiny pebbles. The root system is shallow and fibrous. This plant spreads by reseeding itself; it can also spread vegetatively by rooting at the leaf nodes along the stems.

Biology ¹⁰

Chickweed occurs either as an annual species or as a short-lived perennial (3), and produces several generations a year, each one flowering after just 5 weeks of growth (1). It can remain green and often in flower throughout winter (4). The flowers are visited by many small flies and bees (2). A single plant may produce around 2,500 reddish-brown seeds, which can remain viable in the soil for 25-40 years (1). Common chickweeds is highly prized as a food for poultry and cage-birds, and even for humans in small quantities as a vegetable of stir-fries and salads (4).

Sources and Credits

(c) 2008 Keir Morse, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=269270&one=T
(c) Bastiaan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/84474308@N00/3386022896
(c) Sara Rall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sara Rall
(c) Dwayne Estes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dwayne Estes
(c) Kate Turner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kate Turner
(c) Valter Jacinto, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/4312617262_74b8e8a759.jpg
(c) David Illig, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5182/5638555474_7408774f0f_o.jpg
(c) 2008 Keir Morse, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=269271&one=T
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29447647
(c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5671118

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Flower color	white

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