Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Cerastium tomentosum
snow-in-summer
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington British Columbia to Oregon, east to Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, the Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, and wastelots at low elevation.

Flowers: April-May

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Self-pollination, bees, flies

Description:
General:

Rhizomatous, mat-forming perennials, the flowering stems ascending, branched, 15-40 cm. long; non-flowering stems prostrate, readily rooting; herbage densely white-woolly.

Leaves:

Leaves opposite, sessile, linear to linear-lanceolate, 10-60 mm. long and 2-8 mm. wide, not glandular.

Flowers:

Inflorescences of lax, 3- to 13-flowered, bracteate cymes; pedicles ascending, straight, 10-40 mm. long; flowers white, 12-20 mm. in diameter; sepals 5, narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, 5-7 mm. long; petals 5, deltoid, 2 lobed, white, 10-18 mm. long; stamens 10; styles 5.

Fruits:

Capsules cylindric, slightly curved, 10-15 mm. long, with 10 erect teeth.

Accepted Name:
Cerastium tomentosum L.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 440. 1753.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Cerastium tomentosum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Cerastium tomentosum checklist entry

OregonFlora: Cerastium tomentosum information

E-Flora BC: Cerastium tomentosum atlas page

CalPhotos: Cerastium tomentosum photos

7 photographs:
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