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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE PINK FAMILY | |||||||||
| The pink family is found mainly in north temperate regions, though it may also be found in montane tropics and the arctic. These plants are herbaceous perennials that have an erect or reclining growth habit. Some species may be mat forming. Almost all of the members of the pink family have three characteristics in common that make this family easy to identify: swollen nodes, opposite leaves, and notched petals. Several members of this family are used as ornamentals. One of the more well-known examples is Dianthus or the carnation. Many species are also considered weedy. | |||||||||
| BEERING’S CHICKWEED | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Cerastium beeringianum ssp. earlei | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Beering’s chickweed is a mat-forming species that is tufted from horizontal underground stems. The leaves are mainly basal, though there are some oppositely arranged, sessile stem leaves. There are a few flowers on long, glandular-hairy stalks. The bracts below the flowers are not dry and membranous. The sepals, at least the inner ones, are membranous-margined and often have a purple tinge. The petals are less than twice as long as the sepals and are white in colour. The fruit is a capsule that opens by 10 teeth. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Beering’s chickweed grows in crevices on rocky shores. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in northern Saskatchewan in the Tazin Lake Upland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Beering’s chickweed is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare. It is highly regionally restricted in the province and most local populations are small. No immediate threats have been identified for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY BEERING’S CHICKWEED | |||||||||
| * Are the fruiting stalks glandular-hairy? * Are the petals white and distinctly longer than the sepals? * Are the leaves mainly basal? * Did you find it in northern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found Beering’s chickweed! | |||||||||
