Cerastium maximum

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 439. 1753.

Common names: Great mouse-ear chickweed
Synonyms: Dichodon maximus (Linnaeus) Á. Löve & D. Löve
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 87. Mentioned on page 74, 75.

Plants perennial, subrhizomatous. Stems simple, or few together, erect or ascending, 20–70 cm, proximal internodes moderately pilose, becoming glandular distally; nonflowering, axillary branches usually present; small axillary tufts of leaves absent. Leaves sessile, not marcescent; blade narrowly lanceolate, with prominent midrib, 0.2–1 × 3–12 mm, apex acuminate, ± pubescent on both surfaces, short-ciliate. Inflorescences open or congested, usually 3–10-flowered cymes; bracts normally lanceolate, acuminate, herbaceous, pubescent. Pedicels erect, 2–25 (–60) mm, usually ca. 2 times as long as sepals in fruit, glandular-pubescent. Flowers large, conspicuous, more than 2 cm diam.; sepals lanceolate, 8–11 (–12) mm, outer sepal margins herbaceous, inner sepal margins narrow, membranous, apex acute, moderately to sparsely glandular-hairy; petals obovate, (15–) 18–25 mm, at least 2 times as long as sepals, apex deeply 2-fid; stamens 10; styles 5. Capsules narrowly conic, straight, 15–22 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, short, becoming outwardly coiled. Seeds yellowish-brown, round, 2–2.5 mm diam., finely rugose in concentric rings; testa not inflated. 2n = 38.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Open woods, gravel bars, terraces by rivers
Elevation: 0-1200 m

Distribution

V5 180-distribution-map.gif

N.W.T., Yukon, Alaska, Asia

Discussion

This beautiful species is distinguished by its long, narrowly conic capsule with teeth that coil outward like a watch spring.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Cerastium maximum"
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
glandular-hairy +  and pubescent +
2-fid;acute;acuminate +
John K. Morton +
Linnaeus +
elliptic to broadly ovate +  and linear +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
lanceolate +
not succulent +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
acuminate +  and lanceolate +
reduced +
herbaceous +  and scarious +
8 +  and 6 +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
Great mouse-ear chickweed +
3-10-flowered +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
N.W.T. +, Yukon +, Alaska +  and Asia +
0-1200 m +
straight +  and curved +
central +  and peripheral +
pistillate +  and subsessile +
conspicuous +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
stalked +  and simple +
Open woods, gravel bars, terraces by rivers +
disc--shaped +  and dish +
congested +  and open +
not marcescent +
connate +
translucent +  and purplish +
swollen +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
glandular-pubescent +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
fugacious +
2 times as long as sepals +
obovate +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Flowering summer. +
yellowish-brown +
2mm;2.5mm +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
persistent +
distinct +
lanceolate +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
ascending;erect +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 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 />) +
Dichodon maximus +
rooting +  and rhizomatous +
Cerastium maximum +
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 +