Cerastium velutinum

Rafinesque

Med. Repos., hexade 2, 5: 359. 1808.

Common names: Large field mouse-ear chickweed
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 91. Mentioned on page 76, 80, 92.

Plants perennial, usually clumped, taproot present, sometimes with short rhizomes. Stems: flowering shoots ascending, often decumbent at base, branched, (15–) 25–35 (–40) cm, softly pubescent to subglabrous, hairs spreading, straight, concentrated in longitudinal lines toward base, glandular and eglandular; nonflowering leafy shoots often present, straggling, 5–15 cm; small axillary tufts of leaves present. Leaves sessile; cauline with largest at mid-stem, smaller distally and proximally, blade narrowly oblong, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or ovate, 20–45 × 3–11 mm, apex usually obtuse, softly ciliate-pubescent on both surfaces, more so on margins and abaxial midrib, rarely subglabrous, sometimes densely villose; proximal leaf-blades often oblanceolate, apex ± obtuse. Inflorescences lax, 5–20-flowered cymes, pubescent, glandular, not viscid; bracts lanceolate, proximal foliaceous, distal smaller, with scarious margins, glandular-pubescent. Pedicels curved immediately below capsule, slender, 10–24 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals, pubescence spreading, glandular. Flowers: sepals lanceolate-elliptic, 5–8 mm, margins narrow, apex acute, densely and softly glandular-pubescent; petals obovate, 10–15 mm, 2 times as long as sepals, apex deeply 2-fid; stamens 10; anthers 0.9–1.1 mm; styles 5. Capsules cylindric, slightly curved, slender, 10–14 × 3–4 mm, 2–2.3 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, margins convolute. Seeds brown, 0.8–1.2 mm diam., tuberculate; testa not inflated, tightly enclosing seed. 2n = 72.

Distribution

V5 190-distribution-map.gif

Ont., D.C., Del., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Mass., Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., Tenn., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Until recently Cerastium velutinum has been included in C. arvense as a variety or subspecies. However, morphological characters and chromosome number (diploid in the native forms of C. arvense, tetraploid in C. velutinum) distinguish the two taxa. They are not interfertile. Crosses between them can be produced with difficulty but they are completely sterile. None are known to occur naturally.

An apparent hybrid between Cerastium velutinum and C. tometosum has been collected on the south shore of Lake Erie. It was completely sterile.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Cauline leaves narrowly oblong to linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, not overlapping to obscure stem, not marcescent, softly pubescent to subglabrous Cerastium velutinum var. velutinum
1 Cauline leaves lanceolate to ovate, dense and overlapping, obscuring stem on sterile shoots, often marcescent, densely villous Cerastium velutinum var. villosissimum

"-2.3timesaslongassepals" 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 velutinum"
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br />) +
glandular-pubescent +, villose +, subglabrous +  and ciliate-pubescent +
2-fid;acute;obtuse;obtuse +
John K. Morton +
Rafinesque +
elliptic to broadly ovate +  and linear +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
linear-lanceolate +  and lanceolate or ovate +
not succulent +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
often +  and herbaceous +
lanceolate +
reduced +
herbaceous +  and scarious +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (?) +
8 +  and 6 +
cylindric +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +
Large field mouse-ear chickweed +
5-20-flowered +
not viscid +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
glandular-pubescent +
Ont. +, D.C. +, Del. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, Mass. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, Tenn. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
straight +  and curved +
central +  and peripheral +
pistillate +  and subsessile +
inconspicuous +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
stalked +  and simple +
straight +
disc--shaped +  and dish +
connate +
translucent +  and purplish +
swollen +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
reflexed;erect +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
fugacious +
2 times as long as sepals +
obovate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Med. Repos., hexade +
0.8mm;1.2mm +
tuberculate +
compressed +  and angular-obovate +
lanceolate-elliptic +
persistent +
distinct +
elliptic;ovate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
softly pubescent +  and subglabrous +
branched +  and simple +
ascending;erect or decumbent +
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 />) +
rooting +  and rhizomatous +
Cerastium velutinum +
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 +