Cerastium davuricum Fisch. ex Spreng.

Cerastium species are annual or perennial herbs, somewhat mat-like, stem erect or prostrate, simple or branched from the base, tomentose or pubescent with white hairs, sometimes glandular, rarely subglabrous, rootstock slender, rhizomatous. Leaves simple, opposite, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic-obovate, base connate, margin entire, apex acute to obtuse, glabrous or pubescent, petiole sessile to subsessile. Inflorescence usually in terminal, open or congested dichotomous cymes, 5-merous or rarely 4-merous. Flowers bisexual rarely unisexual, actinomorphic, pedicel usually erect, sometimes hooked near the apex in fruit, bracts foliaceous, margins scarious or herbaceous, sepals 5, free, margin scarious, membranous, petals 5, free, white, margin entire, apex bifid or emarginated, rarely absent. Stamens usually 10, rarely 4-5 or 8, filaments distinct, anthers 2-locular, dorsifixed, disk hypogynous, nectarines present. Ovary superior, unilocular, ovules many, styles 3-5, filiform. Fruit capsule, obovoid-cylindrical, exceeding the sepals, opening by 10 or twice as many short teeth as styles, carpophores absent. Seeds many, ovoid to reniform, rough, compressed, papillae tuberculate.

Cerastium species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary; rarely unisexual and pistillate. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: August-September/October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals.

Perennial herbs, about 40-100 cm tall, stem erect or prostrate, slender, about 3-6 mm thick, longitudinally striate, sometimes pubescent near the base, glabrous above, with white hairs or rarely subglabrous, rootstock slender, rhizomatous. Leaves simple, opposite, ovate-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, about 1.5-6 x 0.4-2.2 cm across, base amplexicaul, margin entire, apex deeply acute to rarely obtuse, midrib impressed above and slightly prominent beneath, petiole sessile. Inflorescence usually in terminal, open 2-4 flowered cymes. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, about 3 cm across, pedicel slender, about 1-2 cm long, up to 1-4 cm long in fruit, bracts foliaceous, ovate, sepals 5, free, elliptic-oblong, base truncate, margin scarious, membranous, apex acute, shiny, about 9-10 mm long, petals 5, free, obcordate, white, margin entire, base clawed, bilobed, about twice as long as sepals, about 18-19 mm long. Stamens usually 10, filaments distinct, almost as equal as sepals, anthers 2-locular, dorsifixed. Ovary superior, unilocular, ovules many, styles 5, filiform. Fruit capsule, obovoid-cylindric, erect, about 15-19 mm long, striate, many nerved with recurved teeth, carpophores absent. Seeds many, oblate to reniform, about 1-1.2 mm across, rough, compressed, dark brown, papillae acutely tuberculate.

Cerastium species are susceptible to various insect pests, viruses, root rots and moulds.

Temperate to alpine Himalayas, altitude 1900-2400 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).