Chickweed - introduced (*Stellaria media)

Family: Caryophyllaceae (Chickweed & Carnation family).

Native of Europe.

Occurrence: Chickweed is a widespread weed of degraded areas, roadsides and gardens. It is also an environmental weed.

Identification:

• Chickweed is a prostrate to scrambling plant
• the flowers have five white petals; the petals are so deeply divided that the flower appears to have 10 narrow petals
• it has ovate leaves which are in pairs
• it has slender stems with a row of fine white hairs along its length; the hairs are on alternate sides of the stems, changing sides at the leaf nodes.

Pale Chickweed (Stellaria pallida) is usually a bushland weed, often growing at the base of trees. Its flowers do not have petals.

Chickweed: a favoured food of chickens.

Photos 1: Chickweed. Templeton St, Castlemaine.
2, 3: Kaweka Reserve. The rows of hairs along one side of the stems is evident.
4: Smith Reef Historic Reserve. Chickweed has five deeply divided petals, and can readily be mistaken for a daisy.

Carpet of Chickweed. Fryerstown cemetery.