About Stellaria flaccida Hook.
Stellaria flaccida, commonly known as forest starwort, is a wildflower native to eastern and southern Australia. It is a small ground-covering plant that can reach 50 cm in height, though most individuals grow shorter than this. It can be either an annual or perennial plant, with weak stems, and it sometimes produces roots from its stem nodes. White hairs grow on its new growth. This species produces five-petaled white flowers with purple tones; each individual petal is split in two. Flowering occurs between September and February. Forest starwort is found in coastal and mountain range regions, most often in moist shady locations within forests, or along the edges of rainforests. Its leaves range from lanceolate to ovate in shape, measuring 7 to 18 mm long and 2 to 8 mm wide. The fruit is a small ovoid capsule that holds a small number of seeds. The generic name Stellaria references the star-like shape of the plant’s flowers, while the specific epithet flaccida refers to the species’ weak, small growth form.
