Stellaria media
Stellaria media
Kuşotu
Annual herb, sprawling or weakly erect. Lower leaves petiolate, cordate or ovate; upper with short petioles or sessile, often larger than the lower leaves. Inflorescence usually with ± condensed branches, sometimes appearing umbellate, or rarely lax and much branched. Sepals 3-7 mm, acute, glabrous or hairy. Petals usually 5, not exceeding sepals, sometimes very small or 0. Stamens 3-10. Styles 3. Capsule valves usually slightly exceeding calyx and split nearly to base.
A very variable, cosmopolitan species. The taxa here recognised as subordinate to S. media are often treated as species ; Fl. URSS 6: 395-7, 1936).
1. Stems with a single line of hairs only, or glabrous
2. Stamens 8-10 .........................................................subsp. neglecta
2. Stamens 3-5
3. Petals at least half the calyx length; stamens 5-7 .............subsp. media
3. Petals absent or very small and malformed; stamens 3-5 ...subsp. pallida
1. Stems hairy all round, at least above .............................subsp. postii
