Giantchickweed (Myosoton aquaticum)

Synonyms: Alsine aquatica, Cerastium aquaticum, Malachium aquaticum, Stellaria aquatica

Common Names: Water chickweed

Description: It is typically found growing as an individual rather than in large numbers.

Habit: Adventive, perennial, 1-2 1/2 ft tall.

Leaves: Opposite, 2 in long and 1 in across; cordate-ovate; smooth along the margins; slightly pubescent; usually sessile (the lower leaves may have short petioles).

Stems: Erect or spreading; and more or less hairy.

Flowers: 1/2 in across when it is fully open, 5 white petals that are cleft, 5 green sepals that are ovate and pubescent, 5 slender white styles, and 10 stamens.

Fruit and seeds: Orbicular-reniform, minutely bumpy across the surface, each flower is replaced by a seed capsule, ovoid, single-celled, several seeds.

Habitat: Native to Europe. Found in moist areas along streams, meadows, roadside ditches, pastures, and gardens.

Reproduction: By seed or vegetatively by rhizomes.

Similar species: Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera Michx.).

Monitoring and rapid response: Hand-pulling or dig up for small infestations; effectively controlled using any of the several readily available general use herbicides such as glyphosate.

Credits: The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from Illinoiswildflowers.info and the USDA PLANTS Database.

Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org). Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).

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