Stellaria longipes
long-stalked starwort

Alaska Wildflowers | White

Stellaria longipes
long-stalked starwort

Common Names

stellaire à longs pédicelles
stellaire à long pied
Goldie’s starwort
long-stalked chickweed
long-stalked starwort
longstalk starwort
long-stalked stitchwort

Synonyms

none

Subspecies

Stellaria longipes ssp. arenicola
Stellaria longipes ssp. longipes

Genus: Stellaria
Family: Caryophyllaceae (pink family)
Order: Caryophyllales
taxonomic heirarchy

Etymology

The genus name Stellaria comes from the Latin word “stella,” meaning “star,” referring to the star-like shape of the flower’s petals. This name was chosen due to the distinctive appearance of the small white flowers typical of plants in this genus.

The specific epithet longipes is derived from Latin, combining “longus” meaning “long” and “pes” meaning “foot” or “stalk.” This directly describes one of the plant’s key characteristics – its long flower stalks.

The common name “Long-stalked Starwort” is a direct English translation of the scientific name, emphasizing both the star-like flowers (starwort) and the long stalks (long-stalked) that are distinctive features of this species.

Duration – Growth Habit

Perennial – Forb/herb

Identification and Information

There are many similar species of Stellaria in Alaska. Stellaria longipes, while one of the most common (if not the most common) species present, is highly variable within an already confusing genus. The photos here are identified to the best of my current ability. I hope to create a more detailed disambiguation guide in the future.

Vegetative Morphology:

Stellaria longipes, commonly known as long-stalked starwort, is a small-flowering perennial herb that grows from slender rhizomes. It occasionally forms clumps, mats, or spreading patches, often with many flowering stems per plant. The stems are erect, decumbent, or straggling and are sometimes branched. They may be glabrous or slightly hairy, especially toward the base. The leaves are mostly arranged oppositely along the stem (also a few basal leaves). They are sessile, lacking petioles, are lanceolate or ovate, appear single-veined or have inconspicuous veins, and are strongly keeled, a distinguishing trait from other Stellarias.

Reproductive Morphology:

The inflorescences are solitary or a few-flowered cyme. The flowers have five deeply cleft, white petals, 3-8 mm long. The cleft in two-lobed petals is often deep enough that they appear to have ten petals. There are also five shorter lanceolate sepals, 3-5 mm long, green with white or purple tinges. Each flower has ten stamens with reddish, brown, or white anthers and a superior ovary with three styles. The fruit is a brown or purplish, ovoid capsule with six teeth containing several seeds.

Subspecies:

Stellaria longipes is a highly polymorphic species complex with recognized subspecies varying by morphological characteristics. Some authors may recognize up to ten subspecies. Two subspecies are commonly recognized:

• Stellaria longipes subsp. longipes: Typically has purplish black capsules, variable stems (commonly compact and erect), and very variable leaf blades ranging from linear-lanceolate to ovate-triangular. This subspecies is the only one found in Alaska. It usually forms clumps, cushions, or mats but sometimes has diffuse, straggling stems. It flowers from late spring to summer and grows in grassy places along streams, moist gravel or sand, arctic and alpine tundra, and among rocks or cliffs. Its distribution includes Greenland, most Canadian provinces, Alaska, and many northern U.S. states, as well as Europe and Asia.
• Stellaria longipes subsp. arenicola: Features straw-colored capsules, elongated and straggling stems, and narrowly lanceolate leaf blades. This subspecies is restricted to Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The complex nature of Stellaria longipes means it can look very different depending on where it grows. This variability is due to both genetic differences (genic control) and environmental factors (phenotypic plasticity). In simple terms, “genic control” means that certain traits are determined by the plant’s genes, while “phenotypic plasticity” means that the plant can change its appearance based on the environment it is growing in, such as temperature, day length, and shade.

Sources indicate ongoing discussion and variation in recognizing these subspecies, highlighting the need for further research to clarify their distinctions. The Stellaria longipes complex consists of many forms that are all capable of interbreeding (interfertile), but they maintain distinct characteristics due to a combination of genetic inheritance and environmental influences. This high degree of variability and adaptability helps the species thrive in various conditions.

For more discussion on variability and subspecies, refer to the Flora of North America and Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Uses

For information only (typically historical) – I take no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plant.

No traditional, medicinal, or culinary uses were found.

Distribution and Habitat

Map data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), NatureServe Explorer, and Kew

Long-stalked starwort is widely distributed across North America, including Alaska, all of Canada, and much of the northern and western United States. Its range includes Greenland, Svalbard, parts of Scandinavia, and Siberia.

Its habitat includes a wide range of environments, including wet meadows, tundra, ridges, flood plains, rocky areas or scree slopes, open forests, and muskeg.

Classification

References and Further Reading

Guidebook

Pratt, V. E. (1989). Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers: Commonly Seen Along Highways and Byways (p. 57). Alaskakrafts, inc.

Johnson, D., Kershaw, L., & MacKinnon, A. (2020). Plants of the Western Forest: Alaska to Minnesota Boreal and Aspen Parkland (3rd ed., p. 104). Partners Publishing. ISBN 978-1772130591.

Brandenburg, D. M. 2010. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America. Sterling Publishing. (p. 193)

Classification and Taxonomy

Canadensys. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/name/Stellaria%20longipes.

USDA PLANTS Database. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=STLO2.

Uses

none

Map and Distribution

GBIF. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://www.gbif.org/species/5384620.

NatureServe Explorer. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.161036/Stellaria_longipes.

Plants of the World Online. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid.org:names:285533-2.

Description and Information

Flora of North America. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from http://floranorthamerica.org/Stellaria_longipes.

Hultén, E. (1968). Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories: A Manual of the Vascular Plants (1st ed.) (pg. 419). Stanford University Press.

Ecological Atlas of Denali’s Flora. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://ecologicalatlas.uaf.edu/index.php/browse-plant-species/atlas-page/?nps_id=1953.

E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Stellaria%20longipes&redblue=Both&lifeform=7.

Canadian Museum of Nature. “Stellaria longipes.” Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://nature.ca/aaflora/data/www/castlo.htm.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 2005. “Stellaria longipes subsp. longipes.” Flora of North America, Vol. 5. http://floranorthamerica.org/Stellaria_longipes_subsp._longipes. Accessed July 28, 2024.