Stellaria media

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Common chickweed

Closeup of the common chickweed.

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Genus:	Stellaria
Species:	S. media

Binomial name

Stellaria media
(L.) Vill.

Synonyms

Alsine media L.
Stellaria Apetala Ucria ex Roem.

Whole plant

The common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a cool-season annual plant native to Europe, which is often eaten by chickens. It is commonly also called Chickenwort, Craches, Maruns, Winterweed. The plant germinates in fall or late winter, then forms large mats of foliage. Flowers are small and white, followed quickly by the seed pods. This plant flowers and sets seed at the same time.

In both Europe and North America this plant is an invasive weed of gardens ^[1], fields, and disturbed grounds. Control is difficult due to the heavy seed sets, although herbicides are effective when the plants are small. Common Chickweed is very competitive with small grains, and can produce up to 80% yield losses among barley.^[2]

1 Folklore
2 Distribution and Identification
3 References
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] Folklore

The plant has uses in folk medicine. 17th century herbalist John Gerard recommended it as a remedy for mange. Modern herbalists prescribe it for skin diseases, bronchitis, rheumatic pains, arthritis and period pain. a poultice of chickweed can be applied to cuts, burns and bruises. Not all of these uses are supported by scientific evidence.^[3]

[edit] Distribution and Identification

Stellaria media is edible and nutritious, and is used as leaf vegetables, often raw in salads.

Stellaria media is widespread in North America from the Brooks Range in Alaska to all points south within North America. There are several closely related plants referred to as chickweed, but which lack the culinary and medicinal properties of plants in the genus Stellaria. Plants in the genus Cerastium are very similar in appearance to Stellaria and are in the same family (Carophyllaceae). Stellaria media can be easily distinguished from all other members of this family by examining the stems. Stellaria has fine hairs on only one side of the stem in a single band. Other members of the family Carophyllaceae which resemble Stellaria have hairs uniformly covering the entire stem.

[edit] References

Chickweed water is an old wives' remedy for obesity.

^ Neltje, Blanchan (2005). Wild Flowers Worth Knowing. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
^ A. Davis, K. Renner, C. Sprague, L. Dyer, D. Mutch (2005). Integrated Weed Management. MSU.
^ Howard, Michael (1987). Traditional folk remedies : a comprehensive herbal. London: Century, p.119. ISBN 0712617310.

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1

[edit] Further reading

Everitt, J.H.; Lonard, R.L., Little, C.R. (2007). Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press. ISBN 0-89672-614-2