Cerastium dichotomum

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 438. 1753.

Common names: Forked mouse-ear chickweed
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 84. Mentioned on page 75.

Plants annual, with slender taproot. Stems erect, simple or several from branched caudex, 15–30 cm, densely viscid-glandular; small axillary tufts of leaves usually absent. Leaves not marcescent, sessile; blade broadly linear to linear-lanceolate to oblong, 12–30 (–50) × 3–10 (–15) mm, apex usually acute, densely viscid-glandular. Inflorescences dense, 3–30-flowered cymes; bracts foliaceous, glandular-pubescent. Pedicels erect, 2–10 mm, shorter than sepals, with dense, spreading, glandular pubescence. Flowers: sepals lanceolate, 6–11 mm, margins narrow, apex acute, pubescence dense, stout, shorter than sepal tips, viscid-glandular; petals oblanceolate, 8–10 mm, ca. equaling sepals, apex shortly 2-fid; stamens 5; styles 5. Capsules narrowly conic, straight, 10–15 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, margins convolute. Seeds chestnut-brown, ca. 1.3 mm, tuberculate; testa not inflated. 2n = 38.


Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Arable land, roadsides
Elevation: 300-900 m

Distribution

V5 171-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; Calif., Oreg., Wash., s Europe

Discussion

Cerastium dichotomum is very similar to C. inflatum Link from the Middle East [C. dichotomum subsp. inflatum (Link) Cullen] and is sometimes equated with it, but that species differs from C. dichotomum in having an inflated fruiting calyx. Reports of C. siculum Gussone in North America are referable to C. dichotomum.

Cerastium dichotomum is a rare weed of arable land and roadsides.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Cerastium dichotomum"
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
2-fid;acute;acute +
John K. Morton +
Linnaeus +
elliptic to broadly ovate +  and linear +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
broadly linear +  and linear-lanceolate +
not succulent +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
often +  and herbaceous +
glandular-pubescent +
reduced +
herbaceous +  and scarious +
8 +  and 6 +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Forked mouse-ear chickweed +
3-30-flowered +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
Calif. +, Oreg. +, Wash. +  and s Europe +
300-900 m +
straight +  and curved +
central +  and peripheral +
pistillate +  and subsessile +
inconspicuous +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
stalked +  and simple +
Arable land, roadsides +
disc--shaped +  and dish +
not marcescent +
connate +
translucent +  and purplish +
swollen +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
fugacious +
oblanceolate +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Flowering spring–early summer. +
chestnut-brown +
tuberculate +
compressed +  and angular-obovate +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (?) +
persistent +
distinct +
lanceolate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
Introduced +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
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 dichotomum +
Cerastium +
species +
not inflated +
divided +
10 +  and 8 +
rhizomatous +  and taprooted +
pubescence of simple hairs or stalked glands +  and glabrous +
19 +, 18 +, 17 +, 15] +, 13 +  and [9 +