Japanese name: オランダミミナグサ Scientific name:Cerastium glomeratum
[Overview]
A biennial found along roadsides and in fields, growing 10–60 cm tall.
The stems, leaves, calyx and other parts are densely covered with soft hairs and glandular hairs.
The stem is usually erect.
The leaves are simple and opposite, 0.7–2 cm long and 0.4–1.2 cm wide, ovate to oblong.
There is no leaf stalk.
A dichotomous cyme at the stem tip bears densely crowded flowers.
The flowers are white with 5 petals; the petals are 4–5 mm long and shallowly 2-lobed.
There are 10 stamens.
The flower stalks are shorter than or about as long as the calyx.
After flowering, the flower stalks elongate.
The fruit is a capsule that splits into 10 at the tip.
The seeds are 0.5 mm across and have elliptical projections.
It resembles Mimina-gusa, but can be distinguished by its densely borne flowers and by the lower flower stalks being shorter than or about as long as the calyx.
[History]
It arrived in Japan in the late Meiji period and has become naturalized in many regions.
