Stellaria patens

Kafle, Rashika, Pandey, Neelam & Parmar, Gaurav, 2024, Stellaria Rajbhandarii (Caryophyllaceae), A New Species From Nepal And Resurrection Of Stellaria Neotomentosa, Phytotaxa 671 (3), pp. 259-270 : 267-268

Key to the species of Stellaria patens group

1. Bracts foliaceous ................................................................................................................................................................................2

- Bracts scaly.........................................................................................................................................................................................4

2. Stems 15–45 cm, leaves subsessile to petiolate............................................................................................................. S. sikkimensis

- Stems 5–20 cm; leaves sessile............................................................................................................................................................3

3. Pedicels 1–4 mm; leaves villose; petals shorter than sepals............................................................................................. S. polyantha

- Pedicels 5–30 mm; leaves glabrous; petals slightly longer than sepals .................................................................... S. mainlingensis

4. Flowers in terminal cymes; stems glabrous or with sparse hair.........................................................................................................5

- Flowers in axillary cymes, rarely terminal; stems hairy.....................................................................................................................6

5. Stems 6–15(–25); cymes 1–2 flowered .......................................................................................................................... S. montioides

- Stems 20–30 cm tall; cymes 3–10 flowered.......................................................................................................................... S. souliei

6. Capsule longer than persistent sepals; plant hairy on all surfaces, including bracts and sepals ............................... S. neotomentosa

- Capsule half shorter or subequal to persistent sepals; plant subglabrous or hairy, except bracts and sepals.....................................7 7. Stems serious; capsule with more than 6 seeds ..................................................................................................................................8

- Stems villous; capsule with up to 6 seeds ..........................................................................................................................................9

8. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate; sepals 1/4 longer than petals......................................................................... S. patens var. patens

- Leaves ovate to broadly ovate; sepals 1/3 shorter than petals........................................................................ S. patens var. ovatifolia

9. Leaves ovate to broadly ovate; petals 1/3 longer than sepals; anther lobes 0.4–0.6 mm; capsule 1/2 as long as the sepals; seeds size 0.8–1.1 mm ...................................................................................................................................................................... S. nepalensis

- Leaves linear-lanceolate to lanceolate; petals equal to sepals; anther lobes 0.7–1 mm; capsule 4/5 shorter than sepals; seeds size 0.6–0.8 mm .................................................................................................................................................................. S. rajbhandarii