About Stellaria nitens Nutt.
Stellaria nitens Nutt. is a species of flowering plant in the pink family, Caryophyllaceae. It is commonly known by the common names shiny chickweed and shining starwort. This plant is native to western North America; its range covers British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, most of the western United States, and extends south into Mexico at least as far as Baja California. It can grow in many different habitat types, in both dry and moist environments, and is sometimes found in disturbed areas. Stellaria nitens is an annual herb. It grows a slender, upright, four-angled stem from a thin taproot, reaching a maximum height of around 25 centimeters (9.8 inches). Most of the plant's leaves are located on the lower section of the stem; each of these leaves is up to 1.5 centimeters (0.59 inches) long, while smaller, narrower leaves grow on the upper part of the stem. The leaves are hairless overall, except for some rough hairs along their margins, and the leaf blades have shiny surfaces. The plant's inflorescence holds a small number of flowers, each attached on a short pedicel. Each flower has five pointed sepals that are each a few millimeters long. Some flowers have five tiny white petals, though petals are often absent.
