Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Stellaria corei
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
This species is very similar to the much more common and widespread S. pubera, but in this species the upper stem leaves usually have distinct petioles, whereas in the other the stem leaves are almost always sessile. Also, ... (Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.)
Both Stellaria corei and S. pubera have an interesting seasonal growth form, producing short and relatively small-leaved flowering shoots in the spring (which wither following fruiting), followed by taller, more vigorous summer shoots with larger and tougher leaves and lacking flowers, which persist until autumn, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Stellaria corei
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5 (2005)
Stellaria corei
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-07-005:
Stellaria corei FAMILY Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH (THE NAME PREOCCUPIED) Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Stellaria silvatica
SYNONYMOUS WITH Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Stellaria pubera var. silvatica
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Alsine tennesseensis
COMMON NAME:
Tennessee Starwort
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_alte7_001_lvd
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Joe Standaert jst_d09018_yellowmtn_031
April Avery County NC
The Roan Highlands
Similar to S. pubera. They both appear to have 10 petals but actually have 5 deeply split, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999).
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Joe Standaert jst_d19010_coleman_007
April Buncombe County NC
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Joe Standaert jst_d19014albrightgrov009
May Cocke County TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Very similar to S. pubera but differs in its long-acuminate sepals, per Flora of North America.
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Joe Standaert jst_d20016_coleman2_053
May Buncombe County NC
Similar to S. pubera, but the sepals are acuminate, and equal to or longer than the petals, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).
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Joe Standaert jst_d20020mtsgreybeard014
June Buncombe County NC
Sepals 7-11(-12)mm long, acuminate, ciliate, but more-or-less glabrous on the back, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
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Joe Standaert jst_d20020mtsgreybeard015
June Buncombe County NC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Stellaria corei
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Stellaria corei
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5
Stellaria corei
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-07-005:
Stellaria corei
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH (THE NAME PREOCCUPIED)
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Stellaria silvatica
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Stellaria pubera var. silvatica
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Alsine tennesseensis
4535
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: cove forests and seepages at moderate to high elevations, rarely escaped from cultivation, per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina & Georgia
Uncommon in NC Mountains, rare in GA Mountains
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
FLOWER:
White
Radially symmetrical
5 sepals
5 petals
5-10 stamens
Superior ovary
Usually bisexual
FRUIT:
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p008
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p059
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".