Rocky Mountain chickweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rocky Mountain chickweed |
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|---|---|
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| herbarium specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Stellaria
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| Species: |
obtusa
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| Synonyms | |
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Alsine obtusa |
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Stellaria obtusa, also known as Rocky Mountain chickweed, is a small flowering plant. People also call it blunt-sepaled starwort or obtuse starwort. It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family, which includes many types of pinks and carnations. This plant is known for its simple, green appearance and how it spreads along the ground.
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About Rocky Mountain Chickweed
Rocky Mountain chickweed is a type of plant that lives for many years. It grows from a special underground stem called a rhizome. This helps the plant spread out and form new shoots. The plant's stems lie flat on the ground and can grow up to about 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) long. Sometimes, these stems create a dense mat of plants.
Where This Plant Lives
This plant is originally from western North America. You can find it in places like British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. In the United States, it grows from California all the way to Colorado. It likes to live in wet places, such as damp forests and on the sides of mountains. It thrives where the soil stays moist.
What Rocky Mountain Chickweed Looks Like
The leaves of Stellaria obtusa are oval-shaped. They are quite small, usually less than a centimeter (about 0.4 inches) long. These leaves grow in pairs, one on each side of the stem.
Its Unique Flowers
The flowers of the Rocky Mountain chickweed are small and grow by themselves. Each flower grows from a short stalk called a pedicel. What's interesting is that these flowers do not have petals! Instead, they only have four or five green parts called sepals. These sepals are blunt at their tips and are only a few millimeters long.
