Flower ID: IMG_0602.JPG-06-02-2017 Flower name (scientific): Cerastium fontanum Baumgarten PY: 1816. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ser-RAS-tee-um fon-TAY-num Flower name (common): Mouse-ear Chickweed Family name (common): Pink (also carnation) Family name (scientific): Caryophyllaceae Scientific name origin: Genus: Derived from the Greek keras, meaning horn, which characterizes the shape of the fruit pod. Specific epithet: From a spring or fountain. Common name origin: Mouse-ear refers to the shape and hairiness of the leaves, supposedly resembling a mouse's ear. Chickweed is a compounding of chick + weed, and refers to the plants as being eaten by chickens and other birds. Flower description: Size: 0.3 to 0.5 inches (8 to 13 mm) wide. Petal count: 5 petals which are 2-lobed, to an extent that the flower looks to have 10 petals at first glance. Color: White Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-cyme Plant description: Erect or sprawling. Size: 1 to 12 inches (2.5 to 30 cm) tall Stem hairy: Other: Leaf description: attachment is opposite, type is simple Size: Leaves are about 1 to 2.5 cm long and typically about 3 to 8 mm wide. Color: Hairy: Other: Shape: leaf, elliptic to ovate-oblong (FNA). Shape: leaf, elliptic to ovate-oblong (FNA) Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Introduced, naturalized. Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common Bloom time (typical): May to October Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Biennial/Perennial Habitat: Fields, meadows, disturbed areas, roadsides, waste areas, sun or semi-shade. Fruit: Seed: Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): Stellaria media (Common Chickweed) is similar to C. fontanum. S. media typically has 3 to 5 stamens and 3 styles, whereas C. fontanum has 10 or sometimes 5 stamens and 5 styles and has hairy stems and hairy elliptic to ovate-oblong leaves. Other Cerastium species have a resemblance to C. fontanum. These include C. arvense (Field Chickweed), has petals about twice as long as the sepals and has 10 stamens and 5 styles, C. brachypodum (Short-stalked Chickweed), has petals of equal length or shorter than the sepals, and has 10 stamens and 5 styles, C. nutans (Nodding Chickweed), has petals shorter to 1.5 times longer than sepals and 10 stamens and 5 styles, and C. semidecandrum (Five-stamen Mouse-ear Chickweed, Small Mouse-ear Chickweed), has petals shorter than sepals and has 5 stamens and 5 styles. C. fontanum has petals 1 to 1.5 the length of the sepals. There are other Cerastium species that have a resemblance to C. fontanum, but these have not been recored in Wisconsin. These include C. brachypetalum (Gray Mouse-Ear Chickweed), not recorded from IA, MI, MN, and WI, but observed in IL and further south; C. dubium (Doubtful Chickweed), not recorded from IA, MI, MN, and WI, but observed in IL; C. glomeratum (Clammy Chickweed), not recorded in IA, MN, WI, but observed in IL and MI; and C. velutinum (Field Chickweed), present in IA, IL, MI, MN, and other surrounding states, but not recorded from WI. Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes from Wisconsin. Latitude: Longitude: Altitude: Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map In US: (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UM, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) In Canada: (AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT) References: Synonym(s): Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): Heterotypic Synonym(s): AutonymsCerastium fontanum subsp. fontanum (Other accepted infraspecifics are Cerastium fontanum var. angustifolium (Franchet) H. Hara, Cerastium fontanum subsp. grandiflorum H. Hara, Cerastium fontanum subsp. lucorum (Schur) Soó, Cerastium fontanum subsp. membranaceum (Edgeworth & Joseph Dalton Hooker) M. Sharma, Cerastium fontanum subsp. scoticum Jalas & P. D. Sell. None of these infraspecific have been recorded in North America. The FNA treats Cerastium fontanum subsp. vulgare (Hartman) Greuter & Burdet as an infraspecific and the common species found in North America. However the Plants of the World Online treats this as a synonym of Cerastium holosteoides.)