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Conserving and restoring
America's native plants |
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CPC National Collection Plant Profile
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Cerastium arvense var. villosissimum
| Family: |
Caryophyllaceae (Pink Family) |
| Common Names: |
Goat Hill chickweed, long-hairy field chickweed |
| Taxon Synonym: |
Cerastium arvense ssp. velutinum var. villosum |
| Author: |
(Muhl. ex Darl.) Hollick & Britt. |
| CPC
Number: |
868 |
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| Primary
custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered
Plants is: |
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Cerastium arvense var. villosissimum
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We know almost nothing about this rare variety of Cerastium arvense, or prairie chickweed. Kartesz (1999) recognizes five subspecies of Cerastium arvense, and between them all they are located in nearly every state in the United States, including Alaska, as well as nearly every province in Canada, as well as in Greenland. So what could possibly be rare about a species that is so widespread? One of the recognized subspecies (ssp. maximum) occurs only in California and Oregon, while the variety the Center for Plant Conservation is concerned about (var. villosum, or var. villosissimum) is endemic to a single occurrence in Pennsylvania. Very little is known about this taxon, other than the fact that it was collected in 1920 by F. Pennell at a location in Chester county, Pennsylvania. (NYBG 2002; Pennell 1950).
Research and Management Summary:
A few scientists have isolated biological compounds from Cerastium arvense.
Plant Description:
The species Cerastium arvense is a hardy perennial that can be found in cold and temperate regions of both the northern and southern hemispheres. This particular variety produces 5-petaled flowers that are white and about 3/8 of an inch wide. Plants can grow to a foot tall, and are found growing individually or in mats up to several yards wide.
| Distribution
& Occurrence |
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State Range
Habitat
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Rocky cliffs, grassy openings on serpentine barrens. (Taken from type specimen info. located at NYBG herbarium, (NYBG 2002)) |
Distribution
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The species Cerastium arvense is found nearly throughout North America. Cerastium arvense var. villosissimum is endemic to a single occurrence in Pennsylvania. (Kartesz 1999) |
Number Left
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One site in Pennsylvania. |
State/Area
Protection
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State/Area |
Rank |
Status |
Date |
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Pennsylvania |
S1 |
PE |
6/11/2002 |
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| Conservation,
Ecology & Research |
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Ecological
Relationships
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• Cattle do not graze on this species.
• Based on research on close relatives, this species may be dependent upon small-scale disturbances by other organisms in order to successfully compete within a community (Dean et al. 1997).
• Flowers May through August (Rhoades 2000) |
Threats
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Because this taxon is found at only one location, anything to alter the conditions that favor the plant could threaten it. |
Current Research Summary
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• A few scientists have used the species Cerastium arvense to isolate biological compounds. (Dubois et al. 1983, 1984, 1985)
• Morton (1987) believes that this taxon should be placed in C. velutinum Raf. |
Current Management Summary
Research Management Needs
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• Any research on the taxonomy, biology, or ecology of this rare taxon would contribute to its conservation.
• Status survey of all known populations.
• Monitoring of populations to determine stability. |
Ex Situ Needs
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Seed bank, ensuring that the full genetic variability of the known population is captured. |
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| Books (Single Authors)
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| Collins, B.J. 1989. Key to Coastal and Chaparral Flowering Plants of Southern California. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. |
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| Rhoads, A.F.; Block, T.A. 2000. The plants of Pennsylvania: an illustrated manual. University of Pensylania Press. |
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| Rhoads, A.F.; Klein, W.M., Jr. 1993. The vascular flora of Pennsylvania: Annotated checklist and atlas. Philadelphia, PA: American Philosophical Society. 636p. |
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| Books (Sections)
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| Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland. In: Kartesz, J.T.; Meacham, C.A., editors. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden. Chapel Hill, NC. |
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| Electronic Sources
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| (2002). New York Botanical Garden--The Virtual Herbarium. [Searchable Web site] New York Botanical Garden. Fordham Road Bronx, New York. http://scisun.nybg.org:8890/searchdb/owa/wwwspecimen.searchform. Accessed: 2002. |
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| USGS. (2002). Native Wildflowers of the North Dakota Grasslands. [Web site] USGS: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/literatr/wildflwr/species/ceraarve.htm. Accessed: 2002. |
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| Journal Articles
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| Bechi, N. 1998. Ricerche citogeografiche in Cerastium arvense L. s. 1. (Caryophyllaceae) in Italia. Webbia. 53, 1: 1-12. |
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| Dean, W.R.J.; Milton, S.J.; Klotz, S. 1997. The role of ant nest-mounds in maintaining small-scale patchiness in dry grasslands in Central Germany. Biodiversity and Conservation. 6, 9: 1293-1307. |
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| Dubois, M.A.; Zoll, A.; Chopin, J. 1985. Isomollupentin-O-glucosides from Cerastium arvense. Phytochemistry. 24, 5: 1077-80. |
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| Dubois, M.A.; Zoll, A.; Markham, K.R. 1984. 6-C-b-D-glucopyranosyl-8-C-b-D-galactopyranosylapigenin from Cerastium arvense. Phytochemistry. 23, 3: 706-7. |
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| Dubois, Marie-Aleth; Zoll, Anne; Chopin, Jean. 1983. 7,2"-Di-O-glycosyl-6-C-glycosylflavones from Cerastium arvense. Phytochemistry. 22, 12: 2879-80. |
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| Hiscock, S.J. 2000. Genetic control of self-incompatibility in Senecio squalidus L. (Asteraceae): a successful colonizing species. Heredity. 85, 1: 10-19. |
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| Hollick, A.; Britton, N.L. 1800. Cerastium arvense, L., and its North American varieties. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 28, 12 |
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| Lombini, A.; Dinelli, E.; Ferrari, C.; Simoni, A. 1998. Plant-soil relationships in the serpentinite screes of Mt. Prinzera (Northern Apennines, Italy). Journal of Geochemical Exploration. 64, 1-3: 19-33. |
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| Lundquist, A. 1990. One Locus Sporophytic S-Gene System with Traces of Gametophytic Pollen Control in Cerastium arvense ssp. strictum (Caryophyllaceae). Hereditas. 113, 3: 203-215. |
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| Mawdsley, J.R. 1999. Redescription and notes on the biology of Amecocerus senilis (LeConte) (Coleoptera : Meyridae : Dasytinae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 107, 1: 68-72. |
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| Pennell, F.W. 1950. type specimen. Bartonia. 12: 11. |
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| USFWS. 1976. Proposed Endangered Status for 1700 U.S. Plants. Federal Register. 41: 24523-24572. |
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| Reports
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| Wagstaff, Steven J.; Taylor, Ronald J. 1988. Genecology of Cerastium arvense and C. beeringianum (Caryophyllaceae) in northwest Washington. Berkeley: California Botanical Society. p.266-277. |
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