Moenchia erecta (L.) G.Gaertn., G.Mey. & Scherb. is a plant in the Caryophyllaceae family, order Caryophyllales, kingdom Plantae. Not known to be toxic.

Photo of Moenchia erecta (L.) G.Gaertn., G.Mey. & Scherb. (Moenchia erecta (L.) G.Gaertn., G.Mey. & Scherb.)
🌿 Plantae

Moenchia erecta (L.) G.Gaertn., G.Mey. & Scherb.

Moenchia erecta (L.) G.Gaertn., G.Mey. & Scherb.

Moenchia erecta is a small annual caryophyllaceous pasture weed native to Europe, introduced to Australia and western North America.

Genus
Moenchia
Order
Caryophyllales
Class
Magnoliopsida
⚠️ Toxicity Note

Insufficient toxicity evidence; avoid direct contact and ingestion.

About Moenchia erecta (L.) G.Gaertn., G.Mey. & Scherb.

Moenchia erecta, commonly known as erect chickweed or upright chickweed (note that the name upright chickweed can also refer to any other species in the Moenchia genus), is a small annual plant that belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. It can reach a height of over 10 cm, but most individual plants are smaller than this. It produces blue-green glaucous leaves, along with small, delicate white flowers. Its sepals are longer than the petals, are green, and have white borders. This plant is a common pasture weed that is native to Europe. It has been introduced to other regions, including Australia and western North America, but it is not especially invasive or competitive. In areas where it has been introduced, it grows opportunistically in gardens, mowed fields, and other disturbed areas. It prefers moist habitats, such as grassy floodplains near marshes and coastal hills. It grows well in bare, sandy, gravelly soils, including soils found at shorelines or on overgrazed fields.

Photo: (c) Elspeth Swan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Elspeth Swan · cc-by

Taxonomy

Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Caryophyllales Caryophyllaceae Moenchia

More from Caryophyllaceae

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, NCBI Taxonomy · Disclaimer

Identify Moenchia erecta (L.) G.Gaertn., G.Mey. & Scherb. instantly — even offline

iNature uses on-device AI to identify plants, animals, fungi and more. No internet needed.

Download iNature — Free

Start Exploring Nature Today

Download iNature for free. 10 identifications on us. No account needed. No credit card required.

Download Free on App Store