''Cerastium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of annual, winter annual, or

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern temperate regions. There are about 200 species. A number are common weeds in fields and on disturbed ground. Cerastium uniflorum

''Cerastium'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species including ''

Coleophora chalcogrammella ''Coleophora chalcogrammella'' is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It was first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1839 and is found in Europe. Description The wingspan is The larvae feed on thyme-leaf sandwort ('' Arenaria serpyll ...

'' (which feeds exclusively on ''

Cerastium arvense ''Cerastium arvense'' is a species of flowering plant in the Caryophyllaceae, pink family known by the common names field mouse-ear and field chickweed. It is a widespread species, occurring throughout Europe and North America, as well as parts o ...

'') and ''

Coleophora striatipennella ''Coleophora striatipennella'' is a moth of the family Coleophoridae that is found in Europe and Near East. It has been introduced to New Zealand. The wingspan of . ''Coleophora'' species have narrow blunt to pointed forewings and a weakly defin ...

'' (which has been recorded on ''

Cerastium fontanum ''Cerastium fontanum'', also called mouse-ear chickweed, common mouse-ear, or starweed, is a species of mat-forming perennial or, rarely, annual plant. It is native to Europe but introduced elsewhere. Its identifying characteristics are tear-sh ...

'').

Selected species

*'' Cerastium aleuticum'' – Aleutian chickweed *'' Cerastium alpinum'' – alpine chickweed *''

Cerastium arcticum ''Cerastium arcticum'', the Arctic mouse-ear chickweed or Arctic mouse-ear, is a flower distributed at parts of western and southern Greenland, Baffin Island, Labrador, Iceland, Scotland, Norway and Svalbard. It is a perennial herb that grows i ...

'' – arctic mouse-ear chickweed *''

'' – field chickweed *'' Cerastium axillare'' – Trans-Pecos chickweed *''

Cerastium beeringinanum ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – Bering chickweed *'' Cerastium bialynickii'' *'' Cerastium biebersteinii'' – boreal chickweed *'' Cerastium brachypetalum'' – gray chickweed *''

Cerastium brachypodum ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – shortstalk chickweed *''

Cerastium cerastoides ''Cerastium cerastoides'', the mountain chickweed or starwort mouse-ear, is a flowering plant species in the pink family Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. I ...

'' – mountain chickweed *''

Cerastium dichotomum ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – forked chickweed *'' Cerastium diffusum'' – fourstamen chickweed *''

Cerastium dubium ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – doubtful chickweed *''

Cerastium fischerianum ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – Fischer's chickweed *''

'' – common mouse-ear chickweed *''

Cerastium furcatum ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – Korean mouse-ear chickweed *''

Cerastium glomeratum ''Cerastium glomeratum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names sticky mouse-ear chickweed and clammy chickweed. It is probably native to Eurasia but it is known on most continents as an introduced ...

'' – sticky chickweed *'' Cerastium gorodkovianum'' – tundra chickweed *'' Cerastium gracile'' – slender chickweed *'' Cerastium maximum'' – great chickweed *''

Cerastium nigrescens ''Cerastium nigrescens'', commonly known as the Shetland mouse-ear, Shetland mouse-eared chickweed or Edmondston's chickweed, is an endemic flowering plant found in Shetland, Scotland. It was first recorded in 1837 by botanist Thomas Edmonds ...

'' – Shetland mouse-ear chickweed *''

Cerastium nutans ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – nodding chickweed *'' Cerastium pumilum'' – European chickweed *'' Cerastium regelii'' – Regel's chickweed *''

Cerastium semidecandrum ''Cerastium'' is a genus of annual, winter annual, or perennial plants belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. They are commonly called mouse-ear chickweed. Species are found nearly worldwide but the greatest concentration is in the northern tem ...

'' – five-stamen chickweed *'' Cerastium sordidum'' – Chihuahuan chickweed *''

Cerastium subtriflorum ''Cerastium subtriflorum'', the Slovenian mouse-ear chickweed, is a perennial plant species in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is mostly restricted to the Slovenian and Italian Alps. Species German botanist Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach ...

'' – Slovenian mouse-ear chickweed *'' Cerastium sventenii'' *'' Cerastium sylvaticum'' *'' Cerastium terrae-novae'' – Newfoundland mouse-ear chickweed *'' Cerastium texanum'' – Texas chickweed *''

Cerastium tomentosum ''Cerastium tomentosum'' (snow-in-summer) is an herbaceous flowering plant and a member of the family Caryophyllaceae. It is generally distinguished from other species of its genus by "tomentose" or felty foliage. It is a low, spreading perennial ...

'' – snow in summer *''

Cerastium utriense ''Cerastium utriense'' is a species of perennial flowering plant in the genus ''Cerastium'', belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae. It was first described in 1988.Barberis G. 1988''Cerastium utriense'' sp. nov. (Caryophyllaceae) nell'Appennino ...

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile: ''Cerastium''
Caryophyllaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Caryophyllaceae-stub