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Taxon  Report  
Cerastium fontanum  Baumg.
Common mouse ear chickweed
Cerastium fontanum is a perennial herb that is not native to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Cerastium
Family: Caryophyllaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Communities: weed, characteristic of disturbed places

Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS
Information about  Cerastium fontanum from other sources
USDA PLANTS Profile (CEFO2)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

[Wikipedia] Etymology: Cerastium is derived from the Greek word for 'horned', in reference to the shape of its fruit capsule. Fontanum means 'of fountains', 'of springs', or 'of fast-running streams'. It is a cognate with 'fountain' and 'font'. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/21/2024).