Greater Chickweed - Stellaria neglecta

The leaves are often hairless and untoothed. The sepals are not fused. The petals are white, each petal is deeply cut. It is much larger in all ways than the similar Stellaria media, reaching up to 40 cm or more.  All of the flowers have very long pedicels and 10 pinkish stamens.

Stellaria media is similar - refer to keys in Stace 4th edition to separate the two species.

Either obtain confirmation from a County Recorder before submitting a record, or submit detailed images showing key features.  We recommend that you take and retain a specimen; the County Recorder may wish to see this for confirmation. (RPR)

Damp, shaded places such as hedgerows, wood margins, streamsides and the borders of damp copses, on a range of soils from stiff, poorly-drained clays to damp sand and peaty alluvium.

Flowering May to September.

An annual to short-lived perennial herb.

Its strongholds seem to be in S.W. England, East Anglia and Wales.

Scarce in Leicestershire and Rutland, but possibly overlooked and under-recorded.

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) as Locally Scarce (i.e. present in 4-10 sites)