Upright chickweed (Moenchia erecta) is an
unusual and somewhat strange plant. It can be found in England and Wales on
sea-cliffs, dunes and rocky pastures, but it is not particularly abundant.
What makes it strange is that it is
difficult to relate it to other plants. Despite its name it is not a chickweed,
nor is it a pearlwort or a stitchwort, which are plants to which true chickweed
is related. It has therefore been placed by botanists in a separate group of
five closely related plants that are found in different parts of Europe.
Upright chickweed has a main stem that is,
as the name suggests, upright, and it also has branches that grow horizontally
from the base before also turning upwards. The leaves are broad and
heart-shaped. The maximum height is 5 inches (12.5 centimetres).
The flowers appear from April to June. The
petals are white and undivided, being shorter than the sepals which are pointed
and have a white margin. The seed-pod is about the same length as the sepals
and its opening is surrounded by eight teeth.
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