Mystery Herb

Major Tom

• #1

I attach another photo of a herb I'm having trouble identifying.

It's difficult to see the tiny white, star shaped, serated at the tips, sweet-smelling flowers. The past month has been more like June weather and dry, so the plants have been turning yellower. It's now raining and I think they're going to recover. It might be a wildflower rather than an herb.

Can anyone help?

 

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Moonbow

• #2

Don't suppose you have a close up of the leave do you Tom?

From what I can see it looks more like a wild flower to me, probably of the chickweed variety, which also includes mouse ears. Difficult to see but it may be a starting point to identifying it.

 

BodhiSeed

• #3

Yes, I agree with Moonbow - it reminds me of chickweed:

http://www.cloudnet.com/~djeans/FlwPlant/chickweed.htm

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery...e/common_chickweed/common_chickweed_page.html

Bodhran

 

gregory

• #4

I'd third that - and if we are right, chickweed can recover from practically anything (we are overrun with it.... It's very good for canaries... We used to put it in their cages for them.)

 

Major Tom

• #5

I can see why ya'll think it's chickweed. It isn't. The flowers are shapped like 5 pointed stars with 5 petels with tiny serations at the tip. This plant isn't invasive or crawling like chickweed. Unfortunately, that's the best photo I have.

 

gregory

• #6

There are very many varieties within the genus. Scarious Chickweed/Semi-mouseear chickweed looks like a possibility (what's your soil like ?) - not very invasive and fits your pic. AKA Cerastium Semidecandrum.
What do you think ?

There are MANY others. The serrations and the five petals are powerfully in favour of the mouse-ear genus !

 

Briar Rose

• #7

Can you cut a stem off and mail to one of us nearest you?

 

Major Tom

• #8

Thanks Gregory - you've convinced me. Thanks also for the latin name. The problem with common names is there is wide regional variation. What gets called chickweed around here is another plant entirely. Mouse ears is a new name to me too.

 

gregory

• #9

ZILLIONS are called chickweed. However, as a backup I shall send the pic to a botanist professor I know.... Can you give more info on where it is ? soil, etc.

 

Major Tom

• #10

It's growing in my vineyard. The soil is heavy with high clay content and a lot of flint stones. I attach a picture of the plant setting seed. I can see why they call it mouse ears.

 

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