Cerastium viscosum
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Cerastium
- Life cycle
- annual
- Height
- 0.3 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
Leaves and young shoots[1]. No more details are given.
- Plant part
- Leaves
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
The juice of the plant is applied to the forehead to relieve headaches[2]. It is also dropped into the nostril to treat nosebleeds[2].
- Product or use
- Astringent
- Product or use
- Anodyne
Environment
- Range
- Europe to E. Asia. Naturalized in N. America.
- Habitat
- Naturalized in waste places, fields and roadsides from S. Newfoundland to Florida and California[3].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. It is likely to require a moist soil in light shade. According to some botanists this species is no more than a synonym for C. holosteoides.
References
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00
Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00