mouse-ear chickweeds

genus Cerastium

Member of pink family (family Caryophyllaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

Except for historical records that I'm ignoring, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

Petals are generally lobed ≤ 50% of their length. If the petals are fully divided, see chickweeds (genus Stellaria).

common mouse-ear chickweed
Cerastium holosteoides

stems both non-flowering/mat-forming and flowering/±erect
petals 4–5 mm, 1.5 mm < to 0.5 mm > sepals
calyx 4.5–7 mm, hairy, ascending
scarious margin of most outer sepals 0.2–0.6 mm wide

field mouse-ear chickweed
Cerastium arvense ssp. strictum

stems both non-flowering/mat-forming and flowering/±erect
petals 7.5–9 mm, 3–6 mm > sepals
calyx 4.2–6 mm, glandular-hairy, rarely with hairs exceeding tip
scarious margin of outer sepals < 0.2 mm wide

sticky mouse-ear chickweed
Cerastium glomeratum

sticky mouse-ear chickweed
Cerastium glomeratum

stems generally all flowering, ascending to erect
petals 3–5 mm, 1.5 mm < to 1 mm > sepals, often 0 on lateral branches
calyx 3.5–5 mm, glandular-hairy, with some hairs exceeding tip by 0.2–0.8 mm
scarious margin of most outer sepals < 0.1 mm wide

1 observed taxon / 2 unobserved taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 2 (all are research grade)

Locations:

Sweeney Ridge National Recreation Area: 2

Months:

Mar.: 2

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Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora