Stellaria spiritualist , chickweed , is anannual flower plantin thefamily Caryophyllaceae . It is native to Eurasia and tame throughout the world , where it is a weed of barren ground , tillage and gardens . It is sometimes grown as a salad crop or for poultry consumption .

The nameStellaria mediawas put out by   Domínique Villars   in Histoire des plantes du Dauphiné in 1789 . It has accumulated a huge number of equivalent word since then , as well as many putative diversity and race , very few of which are accept today . Other common epithet includechickenwort , craches , maruns , andwinterweed .

Chickweed has small , star - shaped white flowers , which is where it make its genus name Stellaria , from the Latin word for star . The foliage are ellipse with indicate crown , smooth or slightly hairy , and uprise opposite each other along the base . The industrial plant has a weak , sprawling base that can make heavy mats on the ground . A characteristic feature is a single air of fuzz that flow along one side of the fore , throw sides at each lymph gland .

Many publications state that chickweed sometimes has no petals at all , but this may be due to disarray with   lesser chickweed , which used to be consider a subspecies but is now considered to be a species in its own right . The flowers quick form   capsules . Plants may have flowers and capsules at the same meter .

It grows to about 5 - 40 atomic number 96 tall but can spread extensively horizontally . Lower leaves have leafstalk ( stalks ) , while upper parting may not . They are usually light light-green . While beneficial , in garden preferences , chickweed can become invasive due to its rapid growth and power to outcompete other industrial plant . It produces a large numeral of seeds , which can remain viable in the soil for many long time .

Chickweed flourish in cool , dampish status and can be find in gardens , lawns , farming fields , and mad areas . It ’s common in temperate regions around the cosmos . It prefers cool , damp weather condition and can often be found in shaded areas or where there ’s slew of moisture . It ’s often a cool - time of year annual , germinating in the fall or late winter , flower in outflow , and setting germ before expire off in the heat of summer , though it can be repeated in cool climate .

Chickweed is entirely edible , from its leaves to its stems . It has a meek , somewhat fresh flavor though it significantly reduce in volume when fake . It can be feed in the raw in salads , sandwiches , or smoothies , or cooked like spinach . It ’s rich in vitamins A , C , D , B - complex , and minerals like iron , calcium , K , and atomic number 30 .

Chickweed has been used in traditional medicament for various ill . It ’s do it for its comfort attribute , often applied topically for hide conditions like eczema , rashes , and insect bites . Internally , it ’s been used for digestive issues , respiratory conditions , and as a diuretic . The plant contain saponin , flavonoid , and coumarins , which contribute to its anti - incendiary effects .

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