Cerastium arvense
Cerastium arvense | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
Genus: | Cerastium |
Species: | C. arvense
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Binomial name | |
Cerastium arvense |
Cerastium arvense is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names field mouse-ear[1] and field chickweed.[2] It is a widespread species, occurring throughout Europe and North America, as well as parts of South America. It is a variable species. There are several subspecies, but the number and defining characteristics are disputed.[3]
Description
Cerastium arvense is a perennial herb growing up to 30–45 cm (12–18 in)[3][4] tall. It takes the form of a mat, clump, creeper, or upright flower, and may grow from a taproot or tangled system of rhizomes. It is usually somewhat hairy in texture, often with glandular hairs. The leaves are linear, lance-shaped, or oblong, and a few centimeters in length. The inflorescence may consist of a single flower to a dense cluster of many. The flower has five white petals, each with two lobes, and five hairy green sepals at the base. The fruit is a capsule up to 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long with ten tiny teeth at the tip, which contains several brown seeds.
Cultivation
Gardeners interested in wildflowers disagree on if field mouse-ears should be grown in gardens. Noted rock gardener Louise Beebe Wilder recommended against it in the strongest terms. However C.W. Wood and Claude A. Barr both thought that a specimen selected for good qualities had a place in a garden, such as a groundcover in difficult shady spots.[5]
References
- ^ "Cerastium arvense (Field Mouse-ear)". Online Atlas of the British and Irish flora. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ "Cerastium arvense L." USDA. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ a b Flora of North America
- ^ "Jepson Manual Treatment". Regents of the University of California. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ISBN 0-8166-1127-0.
External links
- Media related to Cerastium arvense at Wikimedia Commons
- Photo gallery