MOUSE-EAR CHICKWEED, Cerastium
vulgatum L. 1, plant; 2, flower; 3, seed pod enclosed
in calyx; 4, seed. Perennial, reproducing by seeds, occasionally
by root development on lower branches. Roots shallow, branched,
fibrous. Stems hairy, slender, partly spreading to erect. Leaves
small, very hairy, opposite, attached directly to the stem. Flowers
small, with 5 white petals notched at the tips, surrounded by an equal
number of hairy sepals. Seed pods very small, cylinder-like, located
at tips of the stems, containing many seeds. Seeds brown, very small,
circular, flattened with a rounded back bearing irregular knobs. Seeds
long-lived, often remaining dormant in the soil over several seasons. Found
in lawns, pastures, and abandoned cultivated land.