Can be mistaken for : Marsh Stitchwort (Stellaria palustris) but that grows in marshes, has smaller flowers (12-18mm) with relatively narrower petals. The stems are smooth-angled (rather than rough-angled. The whitish edges of the sepals are broader than those of Greater Stitchwort and the leaves are proportionately much narrower than those of Greater Stitchwort.

Could be mistaken for : Wood Stitchwort (Stellaria nemorum) but that has proportionately much broader/shorter and oval leaves more like those of Greater Chickweed (Syellara neglecta) as well as smaller flowers (10-18mm) with petals more deeply cleft and leaves that are pale-green.

Can be mis-identified as : Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea) but, although taller at 80cm, that has even smaller flowers (5-12mm across) and has smooth-angled (rather than rough-angled) stems and is more mid-green than the greyish-green Greater Stitchwort.

Hardly mistakable for : Bog Stitchwort (Stellaria alsine) which has the smallest flowers (5-7mm across) is shorter at 40cm, and grows in usually un-shaded mires or sometimes in streams.

Some similarities to : Mouse-ears such as Field Mouse-Ear (Cerastium arvense) but all those have oval leaves.

Can be mistaken for the garden escapee Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) which also has similarly-sized large recurved flowers with five petals cleft to half-way, but that is greyer and is more sprawling.

Slight resemblance to : Chickweeds such as Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) but many of these have proportionately wider leaves and smaller flowers.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The flower is larger than all other stitchworts at between 15-30mm across and has 5 petals incised to about only half-way.

The last part of the binomial name 'holostea' does not mean what it sounds like, it does not have a hollow stem but rather a brittle stem which snaps like brittle bones, apparently. It is a native perennial that used to be ubiquitous throughout most of the UK save for parts of Lincolnshire and bits of Scotland where it has never been spotted. It has disappeared in recent decades from the East Midlands, parts of South Wales, parts of Scotland, some coastal strips and much of Ireland. Grows in scrub, deciduous woods and hedges usually in slight shade.