(matted starwort)
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Photo of Stellaria dicranoides by Carl Roland
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Stellaria dicranoides is a distinctive cushion-forming perennial forb with inconspicuous greenish flowers that is endemic to Beringia and occurs in alpine tundra and barrens north of the Alaska Range crest in Denali. Plants arise from a branching caudex. Branches are densely covered in withered, persistent old leaves. Leaves are overlapping,
glabrous, and
lanceolate in shape. Flowers are borne directly on top of stems, solitary. Plants are
dioecious (male and female flowers produced on separate plants). Male flowers have 10
stamens arising from a
nectary disc. Female flowers have a single
pistil with three
styles and ten sterile
stamens. In either case, flowers have five acute green
sepals, 2-4 mm long, and no petals. Female plants produce small, ovoid
capsules opening by three valves. This is the only cushion-forming plant in Denali with green flowers.
Stellaria dicranoides typically flowers in early to mid-summer, depending on micro-climate.
S. dicranoides is
dioecious and insect pollinated. Seeds are gravity and wind pollinated. Seeds are likely dispersed by gravity, wind and water.
Stellaria dicranoides is an amphi-Beringian endemic species that occurs only in the mountains of Alaska, Yukon, and extreme eastern Eurasia. In Alaska, this species occurs in the central Alaska Range and western Brooks Range as well as the interior mountain ranges between the Yukon and Tanana rivers and the Seward Peninsula. There are isolated stations for this species in southwest Alaska. In Denali, this species occurs in the hills and mountains north of the Alaska Range crest.
Details are shown in the Plots & Charts found at right, depicting recent Denali data.
S. dicranoides is found in the park at elevations from 725 m to 1676 m with an average site elevation of 1152 m. It seemed to occur at higher elevations on north-facing slopes. This species prefers steep slopes with an average slope angle of 15 degrees.
Details are shown in the Plots & Charts found at right. For more on how to interpret these figures, visit Understanding Data Presented.
S. dicranoides is a high alpine plant that grows in rocky places, scree slopes, and
fellfields. It prefers calcareous substrates.
Somewhat wet to dry alpine sites.
Considered rare in Denali National Park and Preserve.
