Shortstalk Chickweed (Cerastium brachypodum)
Description
Plants annual, with filiform tap-root. Stems erect, simple or sever-al from branched caudex, 5-20 cm, glandular-pubescent, nodes without long, wooly hairs; small axillary tufts of leaves absent. Leaves sessile, not marcescent, usually confined to proximal 2 of plant; mid-stem leaves with blade lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 5-30 - 2-8 mm, apex - acute, usually rather sparsely, softly pubescent; proximal leaves sometimes forming loose rosette, blade ovate to obovate or spatulate, apex - obtuse. Inflorescences compact to open, dichotomous, 3-30-flowered cymes, confined to distal portion of stem; bracts herbaceous, lanceolate, glandular-puberulent. Pedicels often becoming deflexed at base, 3-10(-12) mm, 0.5-1.25 times as long as sepals in flower, elongating to equaling capsule, glandular-pubescent. Flowers: sepals broadly lanceolate, 3-4.5 mm, apex subacute, glandular-puberulent to glabrate, hairs shorter than sepal tip, outer sepals herbaceous or with narrow margins, inner with broad margins; petals ovate-elliptic, 3-4 mm, equaling or shorter than sepals, apex 2-fid; stamens 10; styles 5. Capsules cylindric, curved, 6-12 mm, 2-2.25 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, margins convolute. Seeds golden brown, 0.4-0.7 mm diam., tuberculate, especially around edge; testa not inflated.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Caryophyllaceae
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Genus: Cerastium
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