Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Cerastium pumilum
dwarf mouse-ear chickweed
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, and from the Great Plains east to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Dry, sandy or gravelly balds, fields, prairies, roadsides, and other disturbed open areas.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies

Description:
General:

Annuals with taproots, the stems erect or ascending, branched near the base, 2-12 cm. tall, covered with glandular and non-glandular hairs.

Leaves:

Leaves opposite, sessile, 5-15 mm. long and 3-6 mm. wide, hairy; basal leaves oblanceolate to spatulate, the tip obtuse; cauline leaves lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate, acute to obtuse.

Flowers:

Inflorescences of lax, 3- to 15-flowered, bracteate cymes; pedicles erect, curved, 3-8 mm. long, glandular-pubescent; sepals 5, green, sometimes red-tipped, oblong-lanceolate, 4-5 mm. long; petals white or purple-tinged, oblanceolate, bilobed, equal to the sepals; stamens 5; styles 5.

Fruits:

Capsules narrowly cylindric, slightly curved, 6-9 mm. long.

Accepted Name:
Cerastium pumilum Curtis
Publication: Fl. Londin. 2(6,69): plate 30. 1794.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Cerastium glutinosum Fr.
Cerastium pumilum Curtis ssp. glutinosum (Fr.) Jalas
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Cerastium pumilum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Cerastium pumilum checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Cerastium pumilum information.

E-Flora BC: Cerastium pumilum atlas page.

CalPhotos: Cerastium pumilum photos.

USDA Plants: Cerastium pumilum information.

15 photographs:
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