Ontario Weeds: Chickweed
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Excerpt from Publication 505, Ontario Weeds, Order this publication
Table of Contents
- Name
- Other Names
- Family
- General Description
- Stems and Roots
- Leaves
- Flowers and Fruit
- Habitat
- Similar Species
- Related Links
Name: Chickweed, Stellaria
media (L.) Vill.,
Other Names: Common chickweed,
stellaire moyenne, mouron des oiseaux
Family: Pink Family (Caryophyllaceae)
General Description: Annual
or winter annual, reproducing by seed and by horizontally spreading
leafy stems which root at the nodes.
Chickweed. A. Plant. B. Section of stem with a single flower between the pair of branches and showing narrow lengthwise lines of hair on alternate sides of the stem. C. Seedling, top view. D. Seedling, side view. E. Young plant.
Stems & Roots:
Stems - prostrate, spreading or nearly erect, much-branched, 5-50cm
(2-20in.) long, soft, delicate, bright green, with swollen nodes,
smooth except for a single, narrow lengthwise line (about 1mm,
1/25in. wide) of fine white hair on one side of each branch, this
line of hair alternating from one side of the branch to the other
on successive internodes; stems rooting from nodes which touch
the ground, and the plant spreading by this means to form dense,
matted patches.
Leaves: Opposite (2 per
node), stalked near the base, stalkless near ends of branches,
blades oval with pointed tips, smooth or slightly hairy.
Flowers & Fruit: Flowers
small, white, produced at tips of stems and in angles between
branches; petals white, shorter than the 3-4mm (1/8-1/6in.) long
green sepals; each of the 5 petals is 2-lobed so the flower may
appear to have 10 tiny petals; seedpod somewhat egg-shaped, about
as long as or slightly longer than the sepals, the tip splitting
into 6 tiny teeth and releasing the reddish-brown somewhat spherical
seeds which are about 1.2mm (1/20in.) in diameter. It may start
blooming in early spring and produce flowers and seeds throughout
the growing season.
Habitat: Chickweed occurs
throughout Ontario in a wide variety of habitats and soil textures.
It is one of the most common weeds in lawns but is equally at
home in gardens, cultivated fields, pastures, waste areas and
even under deciduous forests.
Similar Species: It is distinguished
from similar plants by its bright green colour, its ovate-pointed
leaves, and the single lengthwise line of fine white hair on one
side of the stem but switching sides above and below each node.
Related Links
For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca