Cerastium fontanum Baumg. is a plant in the Caryophyllaceae family, order Caryophyllales, kingdom Plantae. Not known to be toxic.

Photo of Cerastium fontanum Baumg. (Cerastium fontanum Baumg.)
🌿 Plantae

Cerastium fontanum Baumg.

Cerastium fontanum Baumg.

Cerastium fontanum Baumg. is a low-growing herb native to Eurasia and Greenland, widely introduced across much of North America and other regions.

Genus
Cerastium
Order
Caryophyllales
Class
Magnoliopsida
⚠️ Toxicity Note

Insufficient toxicity evidence; avoid direct contact and ingestion.

About Cerastium fontanum Baumg.

Cerastium fontanum Baumg. is a low-growing species covered in small, non-sticky hairs that lack glandular tips. It produces erect flowering stems that can grow up to 45 cm (18 in) long, with opposite stalkless leaves that reach up to 20 mm (0.79 in) in length. It also has prostrate, non-flowering branches. Its petals are either shorter than the sepals or slightly longer, and are deeply divided. Each flower holds 10 stamens and 5 styles. This species is commonly found in grasslands and alongside roadsides. It is native to Europe, Greenland, the Himalayas, and Japan, and is widespread throughout Great Britain and Ireland. It has been introduced to the Falkland Islands, MacQuarie Island, and many other regions across the globe, including all 50 United States and all Canadian provinces and territories except Nunavut.

Photo: (c) Brian Starzomski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Brian Starzomski · cc-by-nc

Taxonomy

Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Caryophyllales Caryophyllaceae Cerastium

More from Caryophyllaceae

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, NCBI Taxonomy · Disclaimer

Identify Cerastium fontanum Baumg. instantly — even offline

iNature uses on-device AI to identify plants, animals, fungi and more. No internet needed.

Download iNature — Free

Start Exploring Nature Today

Download iNature for free. 10 identifications on us. No account needed. No credit card required.

Download Free on App Store