Page authors: Ben Legler, David Giblin
Cerastium beeringianum
alpine chickweed
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring in the North Cascade Mountains in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains in the U.S.; east across Canada to the Atlantic coast.

Habitat: Alpine zone, mostly in cirques or on talus.

Flowers: July-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, wasps

Description:
General:

Tufted, matted perennial with clumps up to 15 cm. broad, glandular-pubescent with spreading hairs; flowering stems numerous from trailing shoots, up to 25 cm. tall.

Leaves:

Leaves opposite, narrowly oblong to oblong lanceolate, 10-15 mm. long and 2-5 mm. broad, without sterile shoots or secondary leaves in the axils.

Flowers:

Flowers solitary or 2-5 in an open cyme; bracts herbaceous; pedicels slender, 10-20 mm. long; sepals 5, distinct to the base, 4-6 mm. long, often purplish; petals 5, white, 1.5-2 times as long as the calyx, obcordate, notched; stamens 10; styles 5.

Fruits:

Capsule cylindric, longer than the calyx.

Accepted Name:
Cerastium beeringianum Cham. & Schltdl.
Publication: Linnaea. 1: 62. 1826.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Cerastium alpinum L. var. beeringianum Regel
Cerastium alpinum L. var. capillare (Fernald & Wiegand) B. Boivin
Cerastium beeringianum Cham. & Schltdl. ssp. beeringianum [KZ99]
Cerastium beeringianum Cham. & Schltdl. ssp. earlei (Rydb.) Hultén [KZ99]
Cerastium beeringianum Cham. & Schltdl. var. capillare Fernald & Wiegand [JPM]
Cerastium beeringianum Cham. & Schltdl. var. glabratum Hultén
Cerastium beeringianum Cham. & Schltdl. var. grandiflorum Hultén
Cerastium berringianum Cham. & Schltdl., orthographic variant [HC]
Cerastium buffumiae A. Nelson
Cerastium earlei Rydb.
Cerastium fischerianum Ser. ex DC. var. beeringianum (Cham. & Schltdl.) Hultén
Cerastium pilosum Greene, homonym (illegitimate)
Cerastium pulchellum Rydb.
Cerastium scammamiae Polunin
Cerastium variabile Goodd.
Cerastium vulgatum L. var. beeringianum (Cham. & Schltdl.) Fenzl
Additional Resources:

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

WA Flora Checklist: Cerastium beeringianum checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Cerastium beeringianum information.

E-Flora BC: Cerastium beeringianum atlas page.

CalPhotos: Cerastium beeringianum photos.

USDA Plants: Cerastium beeringianum information.

2 photographs:
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