Naturblick
Menu
A 
A

Cerastium fontanum

Mouse-ear chickweed

Blossom (CC BY 3.0) Fornax

Short Description

Mouse-ear chickweed can grow to a height of 50 cm.

The dark green leaves are elongated-oval, bluntly pointed and short-haired. They are opposite each other.

The stem is upward to prostrate and highly branched. It is covered in fine glandular hairs.

The flowers have five white petals that are deeply divided into two.

The fruit is a small curved denticidal capsule.

Features

Mouse-ear chickweed

Cerastium fontanum

  • elongated-ovate leaves

  • deeply divided petals

Similar species

Chickweed

Stellaria media
The leaves are oval and pointed. The petals are deeply lobed almost to the base.

Sticky mouse-ear chickweed

Cerastium glomeratum
The flowers sit together in a cluster. The leaves and stem are light green.

Little mouse-ear

Cerastium semidecandrum
The upper leaves have a broad light margin. The petals are only slightly split at the upper edge.
Habitus (CC BY-SA 4.0) Stefan.lefnaer

In the city

Mouse-ear chickweed can often be found on roadsides, meadows and uncultivated land. It prefers moderately damp and nutrient-rich sites with humus-rich soil.

In agriculture, it is seen as a troublesome weed. It tends to proliferate en masse and form extensive grass carpets.

Fun Facts

  • It lives for several years and generally flowers and fruits annually (perennial plant).

  • ”Cerastium”, the scientific name of the genus, is derived from the Greek “keras” meaning “horn”, a reference to the curved fruit capsule.

  • It flowers from March to October.

  • Endangerment level Germany: not endangered

  • The entire plant can be prepared as a salad or added to a soup. It is said to have a tart and spicy taste.

Blossom (CC BY-SA 3.0) Rasbak

Sources

Blossom, Fornax, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cerastium_holosteoides_W.jpg

Habitus, Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cerastium_holosteoides_sl11.jpg

Blossom, Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cerastium_fontanum_subsp._vulgare,_gewone_hoornbloem.jpg

Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Needon, C. & Petermann, J. (1991) Urania-Naturführer Pflanzen, Leipzig, Jena, Berlin: Urania-Verlag.

Schauer, T., Caspari, C. & Caspari, S. (2015) Der illustrierte BLV-Pflanzenführer für unterwegs. 1150 Blumen, Gräser, Bäume und Sträucher, München: BLV.

Page „Gewöhnliches Hornkraut“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 08.11.2016, 14:57 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gew%C3%B6hnliches_Hornkraut&oldid=159500382 (Accessed: 29.11.2016).

Bundesamt für Naturschutz (n.d.) Artensteckbriefe, URL: http://floraweb.de/pflanzenarten/artenhome.xsql?suchnr=1451& (Accessed: 29.11.2016).