Greater Chickweed

Greater Chickweed - Stellaria neglecta

Description

The leaves are often hairless and untoothed. The sepals are not fused. The petals are white, each petal is deeply cut. It is much larger in all ways than the similar Stellaria media, reaching up to 40 cm or more.  All of the flowers have very long pedicels and 10 pinkish stamens.

Similar Species

Stellaria media is similar - refer to keys in Stace 4th edition to separate the two species.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Either obtain confirmation from a County Recorder before submitting a record, or submit detailed images showing key features.  We recommend that you take and retain a specimen; the County Recorder may wish to see this for confirmation. (RPR)

Habitat

Damp, shaded places such as hedgerows, wood margins, streamsides and the borders of damp copses, on a range of soils from stiff, poorly-drained clays to damp sand and peaty alluvium.

When to see it

Flowering May to September.

Life History

An annual to short-lived perennial herb.

UK Status

Its strongholds seem to be in S.W. England, East Anglia and Wales.

VC55 Status

Scarce in Leicestershire and Rutland, but possibly overlooked and under-recorded.

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) as Locally Scarce (i.e. present in 4-10 sites)

 

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

No additional images available for this species.

All NatureSpot records