Stellaria media

Stellaria media,chickweed, is an annualflowering plantin the familyCaryophyllaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized throughout the world, where it is a weed of waste ground, farmland and gardens. It is sometimes grown as a salad crop or for poultry consumption.
Chickweed is a hardyannualwhich flowers throughout the year in northern Europe, in mild weather.The stems aretereteandglabrouswith a lax and sprawling growth habit, up to 40 cm (16 inches) long and1 millimetre (1⁄16in) in diameter, with a line (very occasionally 2 lines) of hairs running straight down its length, alternating sides at the nodes. The petioles are 5 to 8 mm long with hairy margins. The leaves are green, hairless, oval and opposite,6 to 25 mm (1⁄4to 1 in) long by3 to 10 mm (1⁄8to3⁄8in) wide with ahydathodeat the tip.
The flowers are small, less than 1 cm in diameter, with 5bifidwhite petals, 1–3 mm long, nestled inside the larger (3–5 mm long) sepals. These sepals have long, wavy (villous) hairs on their outer (distal) sides and are oval in shape, and usually 5 in number. There are often only 3stamensbut sometimes more (up to 8) and 3 styles. Many publications state that chickweed sometimes has no petals at all, but this may be due to confusion withlesser chickweed, which used to be considered a subspecies but is now considered to be a species in its own right.
The flowers quickly formcapsules. Plants may have flowers and capsules at the same time.
The anthraquinonesemodin,parietin(physcion) andquestin, the flavonoidkaempferol-3,7-O-α-L-dirhamnoside, the phytosterolsβ-sitosterolanddaucosterol, and the fatty alcohol1-hexacosanolcan be found inS. media.Other flavonoid constituents areapigenin 6-C-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-8-C-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside,apigenin 6-C-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-8-C-beta-D-galactopyranoside,apigenin 6-C-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-8-C-beta-L-arabinopyranoside,apigenin 6-C-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-8-C-beta-D-galactopyranoside,apigenin 6, 8-di-C-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside.The plant also containstriterpenoid saponinsof the hydroxylatedoleanolic acidtype.Proanthocyanidinsare present in the testa of seeds.
Chickweeds are recognisable by the line of hairs down the stem. The species most likely to be confused with chickweeds are mouse-ears (Cerastium), however, mouse-ears are hairy all over (leaves and stems).
Common chickweed can be differentiated fromlesser chickweedby the presence of white petals on the former and fromgreater chickweedby 3–8 stamens present compared to 8–10 found in greater chickweed.Water chickweedhas petals longer than the sepals.
The nameStellaria mediawas published byDomínique Villarsin Histoire des plantes du Dauphiné in 1789. It has accumulated a huge number of synonyms since then, as well as many putative varieties and subspecies, very few of which are accepted today.
The nameStellariais derived from the word 'stella' meaning 'star',which is a reference to the shape of its flowers;mediaisLatinfor 'between', 'intermediate', or 'mid-sized'.
It is sometimes calledcommon chickweedto distinguish it fromother plants called chickweed. Other common names includechickenwort,craches,maruns, andwinterweed.
Stellaria mediais widespread in Asia, Europe, North America, and other parts of the world. There are several closely related plants referred to as chickweed, but which lack the culinary properties of plants in the genusStellaria.
Stellaria mediais common in lawns, meadows, waste places, and open areas.ItsEllenberg valuesin Britain are L = 7, F = 5, R = 6, N = 7, and S = 0.
The larvae of the following species ofLepidopterafeed on chickweed: chickweed geometer (Haematopis grataria),  yellow shell (Camptogramma bilineata), pale-banded dart (Agnorisma badinodis), dusky cutworm (Agrotis venerabilis) and dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole). It is susceptible to downy mildew caused by the oomycete speciesPeronosporaalsinearum.
It is eaten by chickens, wild birds, and mountain sheep.
Chickweed contains plant chemicals known as saponins, which can be toxic to some species (notably fish). It is unlikely that most land animals will be affected, as the quantities involved are not large. However, it is not advised for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
Stellaria mediais edible and nutritious, and is used as aleaf vegetable, often raw insalads.It is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese springtime festival,Nanakusa-no-sekku. Some varieties or similar species may be too fibrous to eat.
It is said to have medicinal properties and is used infolk medicine. It has been used as a remedy to treat itchy skin conditions andpulmonary diseases.17th-century herbalistJohn Gerardrecommended it as a remedy formange. Modernherbalistsprescribe it for iron-deficiency anemia (for its high iron content), as well as forskin diseases,bronchitis,rheumaticpains,arthritis, andperiod pain.Not all of these uses are supported by scientific evidence.The plant was used by theAinufor treating bruises and aching bones. Stems were steeped in hot water before being applied externally to affected areas.