Paul Sterry - British Wild Flowers - A photographic guide to every common species

Tufted, mat-forming perennial whose stems and leaves bear long white hairs . Found on stony ground on mountains. FLOWERSWhite, 18–25mm across, with 5 notched petals (June–Aug). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESOvate, the bracts having membranous margins. STATUSLocal and scarce, restricted to mountains.

Burbidge, Brinsley

Field Mouse-ear

Field Mouse-ear Cerastium arvense HEIGHTto 30cm

Spreading, downy perennial of dry, free-draining ground, mainly on calcareous or gravelly soils. Sometimes forms sizeable patches. FLOWERSWhite, 12–20mm across, with 5 deeply notched petals (Apr–Aug). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESOvate, paired. STATUSLocal, mainly in E England.

Sea Mouse-ear

Sea Mouse-ear Cerastium diffusum HEIGHTto 30cm

Low annual that is sometimes prostrate. Covered in sticky hairs and found on sandy ground, mainly near the sea. FLOWERSWhite, 3–6mm across, with 4 notched petals (Apr–July). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESOvate, dark green; bracts do not have transparent margins. STATUSLocally common near the coast but scarce inland.

See also Shetland Mouse-ear

Water Chickweed

Water Chickweed Myosoton aquaticum HEIGHTto 1m

Straggling perennial of damp, grassy ground and river margins. FLOWERSWhite, 12–20mm across, with 5 deeply divided petals (much longer than sepals) (June–Oct). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESHeart-shaped with wavy edges; in opposite pairs, upper leaves unstalked. STATUSCommon in England and Wales; scarce elsewhere.

Upright Chickweed

Upright Chickweed Moenchia erecta HEIGHTto 8cm

Tiny, upright annual of short, dry grassland, typically on gravelly or sandy soils. FLOWERSWhite with 4 petals, opening only in bright sunshine (Apr–June). Sepals white-edged and longer than petals . FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESWaxy grey-green, stiff, narrow. STATUSLocal in England and Wales only.

Annual Pearlwort

Annual Pearlwort Sagina apetala HEIGHTto 8cm

Straggling, wiry annual of short, dry grassland and bare ground, usually on sandy soils. No basal rosette. FLOWERSWith minute greenish petals and 4 longer greenish sepals that spread in fruit ; on long stems (Apr–Aug). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESNarrow, bristle-tipped, with hairy margins. STATUSWidespread and common.

Sea Pearlwort

Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima HEIGHTto 8cm

Wiry annual that is similar to Annual Pearlwort but fleshy . Found on bare, dry ground, mainly near the sea. FLOWERSWith minute greenish petals and 4 longer purplish sepals that do not spread in fruit (May–Sep). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESFleshy, blunt (no bristle). STATUSWidespread but local.

Heath Pearlwort

Heath Pearlwort Sagina subulata HEIGHTto 10cm

Mat-forming, downy perennial with a basal rosette. Found on dry, sandy or gravelly soils. FLOWERSWith 5 white petals that are equal to, or longer than, sepals; on slender, stickily hairy stalks (May–Aug). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESNarrow, bristle-tipped and downy. STATUSLocally common in the north and west; scarce or absent elsewhere.

Knotted Pearlwort

Knotted Pearlwort Sagina nodosa HEIGHTto 12cm

Wiry perennial; stems look ‘knotted’ due to clustered arrangement of leaves. Found on damp, sandy soils; often coastal. FLOWERSWhite, 10mm across, with 5 petals that are twice as long as sepals; 5 styles (cf. Spring Sandwort, p.34) (July–Sep). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESShort, clustered. STATUSWidespread but local.

Four-leaved Allseed

Procumbent Pearlwort

Procumbent Pearlwort Sagina procumbens PROSTRATE

Creeping perennial of damp, bare ground. Forms mats comprising a central rosette with radiating shoots that root at intervals, giving rise to erect flowering stems. FLOWERS Green, petal-less and borne on side shoots (May–Sep). FRUITSCapsules. LEAVESNarrow, bristle-tipped but not hairy. STATUSWidespread and common. Four-leaved Allseed Polycarpon tetraphyllum is a much-branched annual with leaves in 2s and 4s. Flowers are tiny and whitish. Common only on Isles of Scilly; rare near coast in SW England.