Sticky Mouse-ear Chickweed, Clammy Chickweed, Mouse-Ear Chickweed, Sticky Chickweed, Glomerate Mouse-Eared Chickweed

Cerastium glomeratum

(Cerastium glomeratum subsp. glomeratum)

ker-RAS-tee-um  glahm-er-AH-tum

Synonyms of Cerastium glomeratum (3) (Updated on 12-11-23 from Plants of the World Online): Alsine glomerata (Thuill.) E.H.L.Krause, Cerastium viscosum var. glomeratum (Thuill.) Gaudin (1828), Cerastium vulgatum var. glomeratum (Thuill.) Edgew. & Hook.f. (1874)
Synonyms of Cerastium glomeratum subsp. glomeratum (autonym) (49) (Updated on 12-11-23 from POWO): Alsine trivialis E.H.L.Krause (1901)(nom. superfl.), Cerastium acutatum Suksd. (1923), Cerastium alpinum Bunge (1830)(nom. illeg.), Cerastium apetalum Dumort. (1822), Cerastium arenosum Kit. (1863), Cerastium brachycarpum Stapf (1886), Cerastium caespitosum Gilib. (1782)(opus utique oppr.), Cerastium caespitosum subsp. triviale (E.H.L.Krause) Hiitonen (1933), Cerastium constantinopolitanum Nyman (1878), Cerastium fontanum subsp. triviale (E.H.L.Krause) Jalas (1963), Cerastium fulvum Raf. (1814), Cerastium glomeratum var. apetalum (Dumort.) Mert. & W.D.J.Koch (1831), Cerastium glomeratum f. apetalum (Dumort.) Murb. (1879), Cerastium glomeratum var. brachycarpum L.H.Zhou & Q.Z.Han (1995), Cerastium glomeratum subvar. confertum Rouy & Foucaud (1896), Cerastium glomeratum var. corollinum (Fenzl) Rouy & Foucaud (1896), Cerastium glomeratum var. eglandulosum Mert. & W.D.J.Koch (1831), Cerastium glomeratum var. kotulae Zapał. (1911), Cerastium glomeratum var. mauritianum Baker (1877), Cerastium glomeratum var. robustum Pamp. (1920), Cerastium glomeratum var. subviscosum (Rchb.) Briq. (1910), Cerastium hirsutum Muhl. (1813), Cerastium holosteoides subsp. triviale (Murb.) Möschl (1948), Cerastium mauritianum Bouton ex Baker (1877), Cerastium membranaceum Jacquem. ex Hook.f. (1874), Cerastium minutulum Des Moul. ex Steud. (1840), Cerastium ovale Pers. (1805), Cerastium pseudoviscosum Schur (1871), Cerastium pumilum Raf. (1818)(nom. illeg.), Cerastium rotundifolium Fisch. (1812), Cerastium sibiricum Turcz. ex Ledeb. (1842), Cerastium stevenii Schischk. (1936), Cerastium sylvaticum Steven ex Ledeb. (1842)(nom. illeg.), Cerastium tenellum Gaudin ex Ser. (1824), Cerastium tomentosum Bojer (1837)(nom. illeg.), Cerastium triviale Link (1821)(nom. superfl.), Cerastium villosum Steven (1856)(nom. illeg.), Cerastium viscosioides Candargy (1897), Cerastium viscosum var. apetalum (Dumort.) Fenzl (1842), Cerastium viscosum var. corollinum Fenzl (1842), Cerastium viscosum var. tenellum Gren. (1841), Cerastium vulgare subsp. triviale Murb. (1898), Cerastium vulgatum L. (1755)(nom. rej.), Cerastium vulgatum var. apetalum (Dumort.) Lej. & Courtois (1831), Cerastium vulgatum var. subviscosum Rchb. (1832), Myosotis vulgaris Moench (1794)(nom. superfl.), Stellaria glomerata Jess. (1879), Stellaria trivialis (Link) Link (1795)(nom. superfl.), Stellaria vulgata (L.) Link (1795)

Cerastium glomeratum Thuill. is the accepted scientific name for the Sticky Mouse-ear Chickweed. It was named and described as such by Jean Louis Thuillier in Flora des Environs de Paris in 1799.

Accepted Infraspecific Names (2) (Updated on 12-11-23 from POWO): *Cerastium glomeratum subsp. glomeratum (autonym), Cerastium glomeratum subsp. megacalyx Kamelin. *When an infraspecific taxon is named, an autonym (“type-specimen”) is automatically generated whose description is closest to the (original) species. All have their own list of synonyms…

The genus, Cerastium Dill ex L., was described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753 giving credit to Johann Jacob Dillenius for naming the genus.

As of 12-11-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 214 species in the Cerastium genus. The genus is a member of the plant family Caryophyllaceae with a total of 102 genera. Those numbers could change periodically as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Cerastium glomeratum is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple is where it has been introduced. Cerastium glomeratum subsp. megacalyx is a native of Uzbekistan. The map on the USDA Plants Database for the United States and Canada is a little different. 

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. 

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A BETTER POSITIVE ID.

Spring is a great time of year when the early wildflowers start blooming. I noticed a different plant I needed to take photos of and identify when I spotted several colonies of this one. Of course, I had to take photos of them as well. I identified this species as Cerastium glomeratum which has many common names including Sticky Mouse-ear Chickweed, Clammy Chickweed, Mouse-Ear Chickweed, Sticky Chickweed, Glomerate Mouse-Eared Chickweed, and probably others. It just depends on which website you look at. There are a few other Cerastium species in Missouri but the iNaturalist drag-and-drop feature suggested C. glomeratum and I think they hit the nail on the head.

I take a lot of photos and upload observations on iNaturalist. There are more photos from 2022 at the bottom of the page below the links for further reading.

Cerastium glomeratum is an annual wildflower with ascending to erect stems, 4-10 inches tall, with glandular and non-glandular hairs, purplish to light green. The leaves and stems may feel sticky from glandular secretions. The base of the plant has a cluster of leaves.

Stems terminate with a cluster of 5-petaled flowers with 5 green sepals, 10 stamens, and a pistil with five styles. The petals have slits in the middle… The sepals are also very hairy.

The small leaves, about 3/4” long, grow in an opposite manner on the stems and are oblong-ovate and taper to a point. The leaves have no leaf stems (sessile) and are very hairy (pubescent).

The inflorescence can produce from 3 to 50 flowers with short cymes. The petals (sepals) can sometimes be red-tipped.

Very hairy stems that are purplish to light green. This one is starting to branch out at the leaf node.

You must admit this is a neat plant with deeply notched flowers.

Although similar at a distance to its cousin the Common Chickweed (Stellaria media), its cylindrical capsule is one feature that puts it into a different genus.

In Nepal, the juice of Cerastium glomeratum is applied to the forehead to treat headaches and dropped into the nostrils to treat nosebleeds.

I have enjoyed photographing and learning about the many wildflowers growing on the farm and in other areas. The farm is in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 100 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be somewhat variable from location to location, so sometimes it gets a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
MISSOURI PLANTS
MSU-MIDWEST WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS
iNATURALIST
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
DAVE’S GARDEN
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
GO BOTANY
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
NATURALIST NEWSLETTER

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and can be hard to keep with. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

PHOTOS FROM 2022…