Cerastium maximum L.

Great chickweed (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Caryophyllaceae > Cerastium

Characteristics

Plants perennial, subrhizomatous. Stems simple, or few together, erect or ascending, 20-70 cm, proximal internodes moderately pilose, becoming glandular distally; nonflowering, axillary branches usually present; small axillary tufts of leaves absent. Leaves sessile, not marcescent; blade narrowly lanceolate, with prominent midrib, 0.2-1 × 3-12 mm, apex acuminate, ± pubescent on both surfaces, short-ciliate. Inflorescences open or congested, usually 3-10-flowered cymes; bracts normally lanceolate, acuminate, herbaceous, pubescent. Pedicels erect, 2-25(-60) mm, usually ca. 2 times as long as sepals in fruit, glandular-pubescent. Flowers large, conspicuous, more than 2 cm diam.; sepals lanceolate, 8-11(-12) mm, outer sepal margins herbaceous, inner sepal margins narrow, membranous, apex acute, moderately to sparsely glandular-hairy; petals obovate, (15-)18-25 mm, at least 2 times as long as sepals, apex deeply 2-fid; stamens 10; styles 5. Capsules narrowly conic, straight, 15-22 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, short, becoming outwardly coiled. Seeds yellowish brown, round, 2-2.5 mm diam., finely rugose in concentric rings; testa not inflated. 2n = 38.
More
Herbs perennial, 20--40 cm tall, tomentellous, distally glandular pubescent. Stems simple, erect. Leaves linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 4--8 × 0.5--1.5 cm, apex acuminate. Cyme terminal; bracts leaflike. Pedicel glandular hairy. Sepals oblong-ovate or ovate, 6--10 × 3--4 mm, glandular pubescent, margin membranous, apex obtuse. Petals obcordate, 2--3 × as long as sepals, apex crenately 2-lobed. Styles 5. Capsule conical, straight, 1.5--2 × as long as calyx, teeth revolute. Seeds brown, ca. 2 mm, obtusely tuberculate. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Aug--Sep.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.2 - 0.55
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-5
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-10

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 5 - 10
Germination temperacture (C°) 15
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Cerastium maximum unspecified picture

Distribution

Cerastium maximum world distribution map, present in Afghanistan, Canada, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Mongolia, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, United States of America, and Uzbekistan

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:52372-2
WFO ID wfo-0000595836
COL ID SKCY
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Cerastium maximum Dichodon maximum Cerastium revolutum