Cerastium arvense

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 438. 1753.

Common names: Field or prairie mouse-ear chickweed céraiste des champs
WeedyIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 79. Mentioned on page 74, 76, 80, 91, 92.

Plants perennial, clumped and taprooted, or mat-forming and long-creeping rhizomatous. Stems: flowering shoots often decumbent proximally, 5–20 (–30) cm, glandular-pubescent distally, pilose-subglabrous, deflexed or spreading proximally; nonflowering shoots present; small tufts of leaves present in axils of proximal leaves. Leaves not marcescent, sessile, ± spatulate proximally; blade linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or narrowly oblong, 4–30 × 0.5–6 mm, apex acute, rarely obtuse, subglabrous to softly pubescent, sometimes glandular. Inflorescences lax, 1–20-flowered cymes, pubescence short, glandular; bracts lanceolate, margins narrow, scarious, glandular-pubescent. Pedicels curved just below calyx, 5–30 mm, 1–6 times as long as sepals, glandular-pubescent. Flowers: sepals narrowly lanceolate to lance-elliptic, 3.5–7 mm, margins narrow, softly pubescent; petals obovate, 7.5–12.5 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals, apex 2-fid; stamens 10; anthers 0.8–1.1 mm; styles 5. Capsules cylindric, curved, 7.5–11.5 × 2.5–4 mm, (1–) 1.5–2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, margins convolute. Seeds brown, 0.6–1.2 mm diam., tuberculate; testa not inflated. 2n = 36, 72, (108, Europe).

Distribution

V5 162-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.S., N.W.T., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., Idaho, Ind., Iowa, Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., N.Dak., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Nebr., Nev., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., S.Dak., Utah, Va., Vt., W.Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo., Worldwide

Discussion

Subspecies 2+ (2 in the flora).

The infraspecific taxonomy of Cerastium arvense is subject to many different interpretations. While many subspecies have been recognized, the “actual” number is uncertain because of worldwide distribution, wide range of variation, and conflicting taxonomies.

Key

1 Taproot absent, plant strongly rhizomatous with long-creeping shoots; flowering stems usually 25-30 cm, often purple pigmented proximally, pubescence eglandular (glandular hairs present in inflorescence), soft, short or subglabrous; sepals 5-7 mm; anthers 1-1.1 mm; petals usually turning brown when dried Cerastium arvense subsp. arvense
1 Taprooted or shortly rhizomatous, forming clumps; flowering stems usually 5-20 cm, green or straw colored, glandular-pubescent; sepals 3.5-6(-7) mm; anthers 0.8-0.9 mm; petals usually remaining white when dried Cerastium arvense subsp. strictum

"(" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."-6timesaslongassepals" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Cerastium arvense"
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br />) +
subglabrous +  and softly pubescent +
2-fid;obtuse;acute +
John K. Morton +
Linnaeus +
elliptic to broadly ovate +  and linear +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
linear-lanceolate +  and lanceolate or narrowly oblong +
not succulent +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
often +  and herbaceous +
lanceolate +
reduced +
herbaceous +  and scarious +
0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.15 cm11.5 mm <br />0.0115 m <br /> (?) +
8 +  and 6 +
cylindric +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +
Field or prairie mouse-ear chickweed +  and céraiste des champs +
1-20-flowered +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, N.S. +, N.W.T. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Idaho +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Maine +, Mass. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, N.Dak. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, S.Dak. +, Utah +, Va. +, Vt. +, W.Va. +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and Worldwide +
straight +  and curved +
central +  and peripheral +
pistillate +  and subsessile +
inconspicuous +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
stalked +  and simple +
disc--shaped +  and dish +
not marcescent +
connate +
spatulate +
translucent +  and purplish +
pubescent;glandular-pubescent +
swollen +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
reflexed;erect +
glandular-pubescent +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
fugacious +
2 times as long as sepals +
obovate +
0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br /> (1.25 cm12.5 mm <br />0.0125 m <br />) +
ugborogho1974a +  and ugborogho1977a +
0.6mm;1.2mm +
tuberculate +
compressed +  and angular-obovate +
persistent +
distinct +
narrowly lanceolate;lance-elliptic +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
spreading +  and deflexed +
pilose-subglabrous +  and glandular-pubescent +
Weedy +  and Illustrated +
branched +  and simple +
ascending;erect or decumbent +
subterminal +
[30 +  and 5 +
roughened +  and papillate +
distinct +
clavate +  and filiform +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
rooting +  and rhizomatous +
Cerastium arvense +
Cerastium +
species +
not inflated +
divided +
10 +  and 8 +
rhizomatous +  and taprooted +
plant +  and mat-forming +
pubescence of simple hairs or stalked glands +  and glabrous +
19 +, 18 +, 17 +, 15] +, 13 +  and [9 +