''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 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 larvae 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 serpyl ...

'' (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

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Cerastium aleuticum ''Cerastium aleuticum'', common name Aleutian mouse-ear chickweed, is a plant species endemic to the US State of Alaska. It is found only on islands, not on the Alaskan mainland: Aleutian, St. Lawrence, St. Paul, Popof, and Kodiak Islands. ...

'' – Aleutian chickweed *''

Cerastium alpinum ''Cerastium alpinum'', commonly called alpine mouse-ear or alpine chickweed, is a mat-forming perennial plant. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his enn ...

'' – alpine chickweed *'' Cerastium arcticum'' – arctic mouse-ear chickweed *''

'' – field chickweed *''

Cerastium axillare ''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 ...

'' – Trans-Pecos chickweed *'' Cerastium beeringinanum'' – Bering chickweed *''

Cerastium bialynickii ''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 ...

'' *'' Cerastium biebersteinii'' – boreal chickweed *'' Cerastium brachypetalum'' – gray chickweed *'' Cerastium brachypodum'' – shortstalk chickweed *'' Cerastium cerastoides'' – mountain chickweed *'' Cerastium dichotomum'' – forked chickweed *''

Cerastium diffusum ''Cerastium diffusum'', the fourstamen chickweed or sea mouse-ear, is a species of flowering plant in the pink and carnation family Caryophyllaceae. It is an annual herb, to 30 cm.high, occurring in western Europe and northern Africa. Found ...

'' – fourstamen chickweed *'' Cerastium dubium'' – doubtful chickweed *'' Cerastium fischerianum'' – Fischer's chickweed *''

'' – common mouse-ear chickweed *'' Cerastium furcatum'' – Korean mouse-ear chickweed *'' Cerastium glomeratum'' – sticky chickweed *''

Cerastium gorodkovianum ''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 ...

'' – tundra chickweed *'' Cerastium gracile'' – slender chickweed *''

Cerastium maximum ''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 ...

'' – 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 ''Cerastium pumilum'', the dwarf mouse-ear or European chickweed, is an annual or biannual herbaceous plant, between 2 and 20 cm. high, native to Central and western Europe. The petals of the white flowers are shorter or equally long as the ...

'' – 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 ''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 ...

'' – Chihuahuan chickweed *'' Cerastium subtriflorum'' – Slovenian mouse-ear chickweed *''

Cerastium sventenii ''Cerastium sventenii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is endemic to the Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community a ...

'' *''

Cerastium sylvaticum ''Cerastium sylvaticum'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Ca ...

'' *''

Cerastium terrae-novae ''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 ...

'' – Newfoundland mouse-ear chickweed *''

Cerastium texanum ''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 ...

'' – Texas chickweed *'' Cerastium tomentosum'' – 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