J. Bot. (Hooker) 1: 250 (1834) APNI
Taxonomic status:Accepted
Occurrence status:Present
Establishment means:Native
Annual or semi-perennial, with slender taproot or horizontal rhizome, glabrous or scabrous; stems weak, straggling to ascending, single-stemmed or branched from base, 10–70 cm long. Leaves sessile, narrowly ovate to linear, (5–)10–50(–55) mm long, 1–2.5(–3) mm wide, margin entire or scabrous, apex acute but not pungent. Flowers solitary and axillary or in a (sometimes interrupted) monochasium or a dichasium; fruiting pedicel erect, (10–)15–55(–72) mm long; sepals (2–)3–8(–10) mm long, glabrous, apex acute, or subacute appearing hooded, not pungent, margins wide and scarious; petals 5, shorter than, equal to or exceeding the sepals; stamens 10. Capsule (3–)4–6(–7) mm long, 2–4(–4.5) mm diam., shorter than or exceeding sepals; valves slightly recurved at apex; seeds (4–)5–20(–34), (0.7–)1–1.4(–2) mm long, mid brown to ruby-red, tubercles medium to prominent in narrow flattened ridges, reticulate. Flowers Sep.–Nov.
CVU, DunT, EGU, GipP, Glep, Gold, HNF, HSF, MonT, MuF, MuM, MSB, NIS, OtP, RobP, SnM, VAlp, VRiv, VVP, WaP, Wim. Grows in swamps and seasonally flooded sites, and in damp areas of eucalypt forests.
Distinct from the European species Stellaria palustris Retz. which has erect, linear leaves; usually terminal, dichasial cymes; and inflorescence leaves ('bracts') markedly shorter, ovate to narrowly ovate and often scarious. 3 subspecies recognised, 2 present in Victoria, 1 presumed extinct.
Bioregion | Occurrence status | Establishment means | |
---|---|---|---|
Murray Mallee | present | native | |
Wimmera | present | native | |
Glenelg Plain | present | native | |
Victorian Volcanic Plain | present | native | |
Victorian Riverina | present | native | |
Murray Scroll Belt | present | native | |
Robinvale Plains | present | native | |
Murray Fans | present | native | |
Gippsland Plain | present | native | |
Otway Plain | present | native | |
Warrnambool Plain | present | native | |
Goldfields | present | native | |
Central Victorian Uplands | present | native | |
Dundas Tablelands | present | native | |
Northern Inland Slopes | present | native | |
East Gippsland Uplands | present | native | |
Highlands-Southern Fall | present | native | |
Highlands-Northern Fall | present | native | |
Monaro Tablelands | present | native | |
Victorian Alps | present | native | |
Snowy Mountains | present | native |
State |
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South Australia |
Queensland |
New South Wales |
Australian Capital Territory |
Victoria |
Tasmania |