''Cerastium fontanum'', also called mouse-ear chickweed, common mouse-ear, or starweed, is a species of mat-forming perennial or, rarely,

annual plant An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...

. It is native to Europe but introduced elsewhere. Its identifying characteristics are tear-shaped leaves growing opposite one another in a star pattern, hairy leaves, and small white flowers. Mouse-ear chickweed typically grows to 4"-8" tall and spreads horizontally along the ground via the formation of roots wherever the stem falls over and contacts the ground.

Description

''Cerastium fontanum'' is a low growing plant covered with small hairs which are not sticky, that is, without glandular tips. The erect flowering stems up to long and leaves, opposite, up to long without stalks. It has prostrate branches which do not bear flowers. The petals are shorter than the sepals or a little longer and are deeply divided. The flowers have 10

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s with 5 styles.Calpham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. ''Excursion Flora of the British Isles''. Cambridge University Press.

Habitat

It is common in grassland and along roadsides.

Distribution

It is common throughout Great Britain and Ireland.Scannell and Synnott, D. 1972. ''Census Catalogue of the Flora of Ireland.'' Dublin

Etymology

''Cerastium'' is derived from the Greek word for 'horned', in reference to the shape of its fruit capsule.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 99, 169 ''Fontanum'' means 'of fountains', 'of springs', or 'of fast-running streams'. It is a cognate with 'fountain' and 'font'.

References

fontanum Invasive plant species of subantarctic islands {{Caryophyllaceae-stub