Family - Caryophyllaceae

Stems - Erect to decumbent, green to purple (in strong sun), hirsute, herbaceous, multiple from fibrous roots, typically simple, to +/-30cm tall (long).

Leaves - Opposite, sessile, oblong, elliptic, narrowly ovate, lanceolate or combinations of those, pilose, with prominent midrib below, entire, obtuse to acute, to +1.5cm long, +5mm broad.

Inflorescence - Dense terminal cymes. Pedicels to 5mm long, pubescent, green to purple, .6mm in diameter, elongating slightly in fruit but equaling to shorter than the mature calyx.

Flowers - Petals 5, free, white, glabrous, 4-5mm long, 2-2.5mm broad, notched at the apex to about 1/3 the total length. Stamens 10. Filaments 3mm long, white, glabrous. Anthers whitish, .2mm long, 3-lobed. Ovary sub-globose, green, glabrous, 1.5-2mm long, with many ovules, placentation axile. Styles 5, white, 1.5mm long. Sepals 5, distinct, 6mm long, 2mm broad, scarious at the margins and apex, pubescent externally with long and short hairs, glabrous internally, acuminate, lance-oblong.

Fruit.

Flowering - April - November.

Habitat - Fields, pastures, prairies, open woods, roadsides, railroads.

Origin - Native to Eurasia.

Other info. - At first glance this plant may appear very similar to the related genus Stellaria. The differences between the two genera are small, such as 5 styles for Cerastium and 3 styles for Stellaria. Obviously other differences exist and you can learn these for yourself.
C. glomeratum is found mainly in the southern half of Missouri. The plant is easy to overlook because it grows amongst taller grasses and broad leaf plants.

Photograph taken in Brown Summit, NC., 4-6-03.