''Cerastium arvense'' is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names field mouse-ear and field chickweed. It is a widespread species, occurring throughout Europe and North America, as well as parts of South America. It is a variable species. There are several subspecies, but the number and defining characteristics are disputed.Flora of North America
/ref> Cerastium arvense 5620

Description

''Cerastium arvense'' is a perennial herb growing up to 30 to 45 centimeters tall. It takes the form of a mat, clump, creeper, or upright flower, and may grow from a

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

or tangled system of rhizomes. It is usually somewhat hairy in texture, often with glandular hairs. The leaves are linear, lance-shaped, or oblong, and a few centimeters in length. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

may consist of a single flower to a dense cluster of many. The flower has five white petals, each with two lobes, and five hairy green

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s at the base. The fruit is a capsule up to long with ten tiny teeth at the tip. It contains several brown seeds.

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1370878 arvense Flora of Connecticut Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora without expected TNC conservation status Flora of Europe Flora of Russia Flora of Japan Flora of the Carpathians