Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_5442.JPG-05-16-2023
Flower name (scientific): Cerastium arvense Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ser-RAS-tee-um ar-VEN-see
Flower name (common): Field Chickweed
Family name (common): Pink
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 the Latin arvi, cultivated land, a field.
Common name origin: The first part refers to a common habitat where the plant is found. Chickweed is a compounding of chick + weed, and refers to the plants as being eaten by chickens and other birds.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.4 to 0.5 inches (1.0 to 1.3 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: white
     Other: flower arrangement, Panicle
Plant description:
     Size: 6 to 16 inches (15 to 41 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is opposite, type is simple
     Size:
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or narrowly oblong (FNA), narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, narrowly oblanceolate, or linear-oblong (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): May to August
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Prairies, meadows, roadsides, disturbed sites, sandy to rocky soil, sun.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Other Cerastium species that are similar include C. brachypodum (Short-stalked Chickweed), C. fontanum (Mouse-ear Chickweed), and C. nutans (Nodding Chickweed). C. fontanum has eglandular hairs on the stem, leaves, and sepals, uncommonly glandular hairs may be observed, has 10 stamens, and sepals about the same length as the petals. C. brachypodum has glandular hairs on the stem and sepals, has 10 stamens, and sepals about the same length as the petals. C. nutans has glandular hairs on the stem and sepals, has 10 stamens, and petals that are 1 to 1.5 times as long as the sepals. C. arvense has both glandular and eglandular hairs on the stem and sepals, 10 stamens, and sepals about one-third to one-half as long as the petals. Two other less comon species are C. semidecandrum and C. pumilum both have 5 stamens.
Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes from Wisconsin. The Iroquois employed the plant as an astringent and to treat miscarriage (Moerman, p. 148, 1998).
Latitude: 44.783988
Longitude: -91.530880
Altitude: 110.40
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Rock, Sheboygan, Taylor, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, NT, NU, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: Cerastium arvense subsp. arvense (The other infraspecifics are Cerastium arvense subsp. lerchenfeldianum (Schur) Ascherson & Graebner, Cerastium arvense var. mitsumorense (Miyabe & Tatewaki) S. Akiyama, Cerastium arvense subsp. molle (Fernández-Villar) Arcangeli, Cerastium arvense subsp. suffruticosum (Linnaeus) Cesati.
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FACU