CERASTIUM GLOMERATUM

Family and Genus:- See- CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Alsine glomerata, Cerastium viscosum var.

glomeratum, Cerastium vulgatum var. glomeratum.

Meaning:- Cerastium (Gr) Horned, (the fruiting capsule's shape).

Glomeratum (L) Collected into heads.

General description:- Annual.

Stem:-

1) Up to 30(-45) cm; with or without glandular hairs.

Leaves:-

1) 5-25 mm.

a) lower, oblanceolate to obovate.

b) cauline, ovate or ovate-elliptical, obtuse, hairy.

Flowers:-

1) In compact, cymose clusters.

2) Pedicels, shorter than the sepals. without deflexed-appressed eglandular hairs,

with or without glandular-hairs.

3) Bracts, herbaceous.

4) Sepals, 4-5 mm, lanceolate, acute, with a narrow, scarious margin, with

glandular hairs and eglandular hairs exceeding the apex.

5) Petals, more or less equalling or shorter than the sepals (rarely absent), bifid for

up to 1/4 their length.

6) Stamens, 10.

7) Styles, 5.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 6-10 mm.

2) Seeds, 0·4-0·5 mm, pale brown, tuberculate.

Key features:-

1) Pedicels, without deflexed-appressed eglandular hairs, with or without glandular-

hairs.

2) Sepals, with eglandular hairs protruding well beyond apex.

3) Pedicels, shorter than sepals.

4) Flowers, in dense clusters.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Open calcareous woodland, soil patches in open shrubby vegetation,

rocky places, screes and gravelly mountain roadsides up to 1900 m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean C and C

Europe, SW Asia. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mar-June

Photos by:- Popi Bormpoudaki