Short Description
The greater stitchwort can grow up to 50 cm high.
The leaves are very narrow and pointed. They are stiff and have a rough edge. The leaves sit opposite each other on the stem.
The stem grows ascending. It is square in the lower part and breaks easily at the level of the leaves.
The flowers have five white petals that are split about halfway up. Numerous flowers grow in forked inflorescences at the end of a stem.
The fruits are small, spherical capsules.
Features
Greater stitchwort
Rabelera holostea
fragile, square stem
stiff leaves
In the city
The greater stitchwort is a light-loving plant. It occurs almost exclusively in large groups. It is found in the city in sparse forests, along forest edges and paths and under bushes. It prefers sandy or loamy, mostly lime-free soils.
Fun Facts
The plant can grow tall despite the rather thin stems, as the stiff leaves, which are often bent backwards, find support among themselves or on other plants.
The flowers are pollinated by insects. But they can also pollinate themselves.
The flowering period is from April to June. However, as there are often many flowers of different stages of development in one inflorescence, the flowering period can extend over several months.
Greater stitchwort is a perennial plant. It lives for more than two years, but flowers only once and dies after the seeds have ripened.
- None
It is native to the temperate latitudes of Europe.
Sources
Habitus, Saturnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Romanian_Flora_-_White_flower_03.JPG
Blüten, Der Michels, CC0 1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stellaria_holostea_IP0704046.jpg
Habitus, Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stellaria_holostea_Grote_muur_closeup.jpg
Kammer, P. M. (2016) Pflanzen einfach bestimmen. Schritt für Schritt einheimische Arten kennenlernen, Bern: Haupt Verlag.
Schauer, T., Caspari, C. & Caspari, S. (2015) Der illustrierte BLV-Pflanzenführer für unterwegs. 1150 Blumen, Gräser, Bäume und Sträucher, München: BLV.
Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.
Page „Große Sternmiere“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 01.09.2017, 20:48 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gro%C3%9Fe_Sternmiere&oldid=168692827 (Accessed: 27.03.2018).
Bundesamt für Naturschutz (n.d.) Artensteckbriefe, URL: http://floraweb.de/pflanzenarten/artenhome.xsql?suchnr=5772& (Accessed: 27.03.2018).