Carnation & Campion (Pink) Family [Caryophyllaceae] |
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21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Forms mats as does Field Mouse-Ear. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Flower stalks longer and more upright than the similar Field Mouse-Ear. Petals recurved backwards in a graceful arch. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Sepals half as long as the petals. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Petals deeply cut. Flowers have 10 stamens and five stigmas. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Anthers white with cream-coloured pollen. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Petals narrower than those of Field Mouse-Ear; creased in the trumpet throat. |
20th Aug 2014, dune slacks, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
A young seedling. So covered in matted dense white hairs as to appear almost white with a hint of green. Beneath the hairs the leaves are green, as can be seen on the lower leaf where the hairs have come off. Leaves in opposite pairs, arranged in quadrature. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves are longer and broader than those of Field Mouse-Ear. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Fine felted mat of off-white hairs. |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Branched. |
PROBABLY ANOTHER VARIETY |
21st May 2012, alleyway, Alt Rifle Range, Freshfields, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Probably one of the many possible varieties or cultivars. The sepal cups are wider and shorter than half the length of the petals. |
Not to be semantically confused with : Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis), Glory-of-the-Snow (Chinodoxa forbesii), Some similarities to : Field Mouse-Ear (Cerastium arvense) in that it also forms mats and has large (12-20mm across) white flowers but is less common than Snow-in-Summer and the stems and leaves are not almost white with matted hairs, the flower stalks shorter and floppier, petals are wider and leaves narrower. Slight resemblance to : Pink Purslane (Claytonia sibirica) which also has 5 petals which are nicked, but the nicks are not as deep, they are whitish-pink rather than white, and the leaves are totally different [which belongs to the Blinks family (Montiaceae)] Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : It was introduced into the UK from Italy in 1648 but only recorded in the wild from 1915. There are many cultivars and variations present in the UK and it is a part of a difficult and complex taxa. Similar species such as (Cerastium decalvams) and (Cerastium biebersteinii) have in the past been mis-identified as Snow-in-Summer. There is no guarantee that your Author has not done likewise... It is grown in gardens and escapes onto banks and walls and also onto sand-dunes |
Cerastium | tomentosum | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Caryophyllaceae |
Cerastium (Mouse-Ears) |
Carnation & Campion (Pink) Family [Caryophyllaceae] |