Northern starwort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern starwort |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Stellaria
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| Species: |
calycantha
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| Synonyms | |
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Alsine calycantha |
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The Northern Starwort (Stellaria calycantha) is a small, pretty flowering plant. It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family, also known as the pink family. This plant is found in cool, moist places across parts of North America and Asia.
Discovering the Northern Starwort
The Northern Starwort is a type of plant that flowers. It is known by its common name, northern starwort. This plant is part of the Stellaria group.
Its Home: Where It Lives
This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from Alaska and northwestern Canada all the way down to California and New Mexico. It also lives in eastern Russia.
The Northern Starwort loves to grow in subalpine and alpine climates. These are cool, high-altitude areas. It prefers many kinds of damp, shady places.
What It Looks Like
The Northern Starwort is a rhizomatous perennial herb. This means it has underground stems called rhizomes. These help it spread and live for many years. It grows in clumps.
- Its stems can lie flat on the ground or stand upright. They can grow up to 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long.
- The leaves are thin and oval-shaped. They have smooth edges and pointed tips. Each leaf can be up to 2.5 centimeters (about 1 inch) long.
Its Flowers
The plant produces one or more flowers. Each flower grows on a long stalk called a pedicel.
- Each flower has five pointed green parts called sepals. These sepals protect the flower bud.
- Some flowers also have up to five white petals. These petals are often deeply split, making them look like more than five.
