SafePlants

Cerastium gracile: Slender Chickweed

Also known as Slender Chickweed, Cerastium gracile is sometimes referred to as mouse-ear chickweed.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Cerastium gracile Duf
• Common Names: Slender Chickweed, mouse-ear chickweed, tundra chickweed
• Family: Caryophyllaceae (pinks)
• Genus: Cerastium L. (chickweed, mouse-ear chickweed)

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions that chickens readily consume chickweed. This might be relevant for owners of poultry or other birds.

Considerations for Children

• The text mentions that at least one individual incorporated chickweed into a toddler's diet.

Description

• Cerastium gracile is a forb/herb, a non-woody plant.
• It is a short-lived herbaceous plant with weak, slender stems that can grow up to 20 cm tall.
• Stems are green and hairless or sparsely covered with sticky hairs.
• Leaves are arranged in opposite pairs on slender petioles (3-10 mm long).
• Leaf shape varies from round to heart-shaped or oval with rounded bases.
• The plant produces tiny white flowers on slender pedicels arising from leaf axils, also in terminal clusters.
• The root system consists of a slender branching taproot with fine fibrous roots.
• Seedlings are light green or yellow-green with a smooth and slender hypocotyl (about 8 mm long).

Habitat and Distribution

• Chickweed thrives in moist soils and grows at elevations up to 900 meters.

Ecological Role

• Common chickweed is described as a very common weed.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• The larvae of some moths feed primarily on chickweed.

Quirky Facts

• Chickweed earned its name because chickens readily eat it.
• The slender stems have hairs growing in a single fine line along their length.
• Leaves fold every night.