Pseudostellaria heterophylla seed

LATIN NAME: Pseudostellaria heterophylla

COMMON NAME: False-Starwort

The false-starwort unfolds the small, white, starry flowers above the narrow leaves, and the whole plant carries the fine, quiet look of the cool meadow. The low, slender, perennial herb carries the narrow, pointed, softly hairy leaves and the small, white, five-petalled, starry flowers, singly or in the loose clusters, through the late spring, one of the quiet, steady sights of the cool meadow, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, round capsules with the tiny seeds. The small, fleshy, forked roots have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, and the plant is a historic presence of the cool meadow. It is a plant of the half-shaded, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The false-starwort is a historic subject of the plant science, and the fleshy roots keep showing up in the work on the root herbs. The way the small, fleshy, forked roots build up below the ground under the starry flowers has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the root herbs, the narrow leaves and the members of the pink family. The fleshy roots and the neat habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the false-starwort is a regular subject of the work on the fleshy roots of the cool world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The false-starwort is a quiet, useful herb of the cool meadow and the study collection. The small, white, five-petalled, starry flowers open singly or in the loose clusters through the late spring, one of the quiet, steady sights of the cool meadow, drawing the bees, and the small, fleshy, forked roots have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, the dried roots coming to the old teas and the prepared remedies of the old shops, while the narrow, pointed, softly hairy leaves carry the fine, quiet look of the cool meadow, to be followed by the small, round capsules with the tiny seeds. It is one of the fine choices for the cool meadow, the woodland edge and the study collection, and it has been written up in the botanical and the scientific papers for the fleshy roots and the very long history. It is a quiet, useful herb of the half-shaded, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden.

The false-starwort seeds are happy in a fine, sandy mix in a bright, cool spot. The young plants are neat and easy once they root, and they prefer the half-shaded, rich, moist ground of the cool border.

To grow the false-starwort from seed, scatter the fine, brown seeds across the surface of the tray of fine, sandy soil, barely pressing them in, keep the tray in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out in the open ground. The seedlings appear within a couple of weeks and grow on steadily. With the shade and the deep, rich, moist ground, the starry flowers will open over the years.

Uses: Medicine