Page authors: David Giblin, Don Knoke
Cerastium dichotomum
forked mouse-ear chickweed
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations east of the Cascades crest in the Columbia River Gorge and in southeastern Washington; Washington to California, east to western Idaho.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, especially along roadsides.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Introduced from southern Europe

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, wasps

Description:
General:

Glandular annual from a taproot and crown, the stems erect, simple or several from the base, 15-30 cm. tall.

Leaves:

Leaves opposite, simple, broadly linear to lanceolate or oblong, 12-30 mm. long and 3-10 mm. wide, acute, viscid-glandular.

Flowers:

Inflorescences of dense, 3- to 30-flowered cymes, with leaf-like, glandular-pubescent bracts; pedicles erect, 2-10 mm. long; sepals 5, lanceolate, 6-11 mm. long, acute; petals 5, oblanceolate, white, equaling the sepals; stamens 5; styles 5.

Fruits:

Capsules narrowly conic, twice as long as the sepals, straight, with 10 erect teeth.

Accepted Name:
Cerastium dichotomum L.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 438. 1753.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Cerastium siculum Guss., misapplied [HC]
Additional Resources:

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

WA Flora Checklist: Cerastium dichotomum checklist entry

OregonFlora: Cerastium dichotomum information

E-Flora BC: Cerastium dichotomum atlas page

CalPhotos: Cerastium dichotomum photos

6 photographs:
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