Caryophyllaceae

Pink Family

Mouse-ear Chickweed

FAMILY: Pink family (Caryophyllaceae) – Cerastium genus.

SPECIES: Big chickweed or mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium fontanum Baumg. ssp. vulgare (Hartm.) Greuter & Burdet = Cerastium vulgatum L.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Leaves of mouse-ear chickweed are edible fresh or cooked. This species is common throughout the United States, except for the Great Plains. In the Southwest, it prefers mountain meadows. Since it blooms throughout the growing season, it can be gathered for most of the year. Of course, gathering a substantial amount would take a while because the plant is very small. Fresh leaves taste mild, usually mild enough to serve as salad material. It’s a flavor that seems related to fresh kale of the mustard family. No harsh accents compromise the flavor. The hairy texture is somewhat annoying, but it doesn’t cause any significant problems. Some stringiness can be expected if the stems are not removed. Upper stems (including all parts of the flower clusters) are tender, but lower stems are tough. Boiled leaves taste milder than fresh leaves and serve well as potherbs. Boiling softens the texture, but it probably won’t sufficiently soften the lower stems. None of the Cerastium species were apparently of much value to Native Americans as a source of food, presumably because the various species are too small.

NOTES: Mouse-ear chickweed was one of the last plants I found during the development of this book. Lawn-like habitats are a scarce commodity in the Southwest, but a mountain meadow with some mouse-ear chickweed finally revealed itself.

IDENTIFICATION: About 25 species of the Cerastium genus are found in the United States, of which only about 5 are likely to be encountered in the Southwest. A number of plants look similar to mouse-ear chickweed. Always check the petals.

Description of mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium fontanum): FORM short-lived, hairy, nonnative, perennial plant about 7-35 cm tall; rooting at the nodes; LEAVES simple; opposite; sessile; stipules absent; blades lance-oval; margins entire; surfaces covered with rough sticky hairs; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; bracts with nongreen margins; sepals 5, free; petals 5, free, white, notched at the tips, and about equal to the sepals; styles 5, divided to the bases; stamens 10; FRUITS capsules cylindrical, clearly longer than the sepals, slightly curved, and with 10 upright teeth; SEEDS numerous, orange-brown, and bumpy; HABITAT lawns, gardens, and rich soils throughout the United States; blooming April to September.

REFERENCES: Mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare = Cerastium vulgatum): leaves Peterson (p. 34).

Sticky Starwort

FAMILY: Pink family (Caryophyllaceae) – Pseudostellaria genus.

SPECIES: Sticky or tuber starwort (Pseudostellaria jamesiana (Torr.) W. A. Weber & R. L. Hartm. = Stellaria jamesiana Torr.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The roots and leaves are edible. Roots of sticky starwort are an excellent resource. The creeping root systems (rhizomes) bear clusters of tuber-like swellings fairly close to the surface. These swellings can measure 40 mm long by 10 mm thick. Sticky starwort roots taste similar to potatoes with a spicy accent and a trace of sweetness. The texture is crisp. The skins are thin and don’t require peeling. These roots must have been an important resource for Native Americans, but references verifying this importance are apparently nonexistent. Sticky starwort roots taste delicious when baked over the glowing embers of a campfire. They can be gathered all year, but they’re easier to find when the aboveground parts are present, even if those parts are badly withered. Leaves of sticky starwort are also an excellent resource. Fresh leaves taste similar to endive lettuce. The flavor is free of harsh accents and the texture is completely chewable. Tiny hairs on the surfaces are barely noticeable and don’t cause any problems. The leaves also serve well as potherbs. The resulting broth has a garden-vegetable character and a complex sweetness. Sticky starwort leaves are a priority ingredient for soups and stews. Individual plants only bear a few leaves, but the plants grow in colonies throughout the western mountains. Flowers bloom from April to July. Leaves can be gathered during this time or until they begin to wither. Overall, sticky starwort is an excellent resource.

NOTES: On a trek over the Uncompahgre Plateau in southwestern Colorado, I found sticky starwort growing abundantly. It was the first of many places that I found this extraordinary and little-known resource. Sticky starwort may not look very impressive standing before the mighty oaks and evergreens, but it’s a valuable plant that’s well worth cultivating. I never had a bad experience with sticky starwort. 

IDENTIFICATION: Currently, the Pseudostellaria genus is represented by 3 species in the United States, of which only sticky starwort (P. jamesiana) occurs in the Southwest. It differs from species in the Stellaria genus primarily by having: glandular hairs, tuber-bearing rhizomes, and petals with shallow notches.

Description of sticky starwort (Pseudostellaria jamesiana): FORM perennial plants about 10-50 cm tall emerging from rhizomes and tubers; LEAVES simple; opposite; sessile; stipules absent; blades lanceolate; margins entire; surfaces covered with sticky hairs; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 5, free; petals 5, free, white, notched, and longer than the sepals; styles 3; stamens 10; FRUITS capsules 6-toothed, shorter than the sepals, and splitting open 3-ways when mature; HABITAT oak, pine, and spruce woodlands nearly throughout the West; blooming April to July.

REFERENCES: Sticky starwort (Pseudostellaria jamesiana): roots and leaves Harrington (pp. 215-217) and Jacke (p. 78).

Common Chickweed

FAMILY: Pink family (Caryophyllaceae) – Stellaria genus.

SPECIES: Common chickweed (Stellaria media (L.) Vill.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Leaves of common chickweed are nutritious, delicious, and safe to eat in quantity. The seeds are also edible. From the chemical industry’s perspective, common chickweed is practically an icon of evil. It’s often featured as the enemy of the human race on herbicide advertisements, yet it’s a delicate plant that causes no harm. It’s native to Europe and now one of the most common plants on Earth. In the southwestern United States, it normally appears early and withers before the heat of summer, but it can appear anytime given ideal growing conditions. Fresh leaves taste mild and nearly identical to iceberg lettuce. They rank among the best salad material on Earth. They also serve well as potherbs. The seeds provide another good reason to like this plant. Raw seeds are brown, bumpy, hard, and rather distasteful, but cooked seeds are delicious. Toasting changes the texture to a popcorn-like consistency and doesn’t significantly improve the flavor. Boiling highlights a sweet, starchy, quinoa-like flavor. The seeds make an excellent mush that’s free of harsh flavors. The bumpy seed coats impart a bran-like texture. Gathering the seeds is tedious and knowing where to gather them is imperative. Colonies of common chickweed appear dry, brown, and lifeless when the seeds are ready. Spotting the colonies at this point is difficult because they blend in with the surroundings. Processing the seeds is easy. Unwanted chaff readily blows away, leaving behind pure seeds. Overall, common chickweed is a top-quality wild food.

NOTES: The first trek I did on a mountain bicycle was forest route 24 in the Tonto National Forest of central Arizona. It was a rough dirt road that led to an even rougher dirt road called forest route 16, which led to a place called Verde Hot Springs. Along the way I stopped at Red Creek and discovered my first colony of common chickweed. Technically, it was still winter, mid March, but the temperatures were like summer anywhere else. That part of the Tonto National Forest is a Sonoran Desert upland community, which means the elevation is a little higher than the desert. The common chickweed seemed content with the growing conditions, and I was content that the water in Red Creek was crystal clear and deep enough to accommodate my cooking pan. Had the creek been any shallower, scooping out the water would not have been possible. Creeks aren’t very deep in Arizona. Actually, most of them don’t even have water, so you can believe I was indeed content. The common chickweed made a fine salad to go with the refried beans and flatbread. Every place I tried common chickweed it was delicious. It’s an excellent little plant.

IDENTIFICATION: About 30 species of the Stellaria genus are found in the United States, of which about 5-10 occur in the Southwest. The presence of leafstalks and hairs arranged in 1 row along the stems distinguishes common chickweed from all other species. The closely related Pseudostellaria genus differs by having glandular hairs, enlarged rhizomes, and shallowly notched petals.

Description of common chickweed (Stellaria media): FORM low-lying annual plant about 7-35 cm tall; stems bearing hairs aligned lengthwise in 1 row; LEAVES simple; opposite; stipules absent; stalks present; blades lance-ovate; margins entire; surfaces hairless; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 5, free, and hairy; petals 5, free, white, shorter than the sepals, and very deeply notched; styles 3; stamens 3-5; FRUITS capsules ovoid, opening by 6 valves from the tips; seeds numerous and bumpy; HABITAT diverse; found throughout the United States; blooming March to August or year-round in warm climates.

REFERENCES: Common chickweed (Stellaria media): leaves and seeds Couplan (p. 109).