Both these species appear quite confusing as per details at POWO: Cerastium fontanum subsp. vulgare (syn. of *Cerastium holostedides <http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:152312-1>*) and Cerastium glomeratum <http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:152274-1> . To get the clear idea let us see the descriptions from Flora of China.
1. Cerastium fontanum subsp. vulgare <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242000276> (syn. of *Cerastium holostedides <http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:152312-1>*) Herbs short-lived perennial or annual, *15--40 cm tall.* Stems caespitose or simple, suberect; sterile stems decumbent; flowering stems pilose and/or glandular pubescent all round. Basal leaves ovate, obovate-lanceolate, ovate-spatulate, or spatulate, 5--13 × 3--10 mm, both surfaces pilose, base attenuate into a petiole; *cauline leaves subsessile, ovate, oblong, or narrowly ovate-oblong, *1--3(--4) × 0.3--1(--1.2) cm, both surfaces pilose or pubescent, margin densely ciliate, apex acute. *Cyme terminal, spreading, lax, up to 40-flowered;* bracts leaflike, ovate, 3--5 mm, both surfaces glandular pubescent. Pedicel slender, 0.5--2.5 cm, densely glandular pubescent, recurved after anthesis. *Sepals oblong- or ovate-lanceolate,* 5--6 mm, abaxially densely glandular pubescent, margin membranous or narrowly so. *Petals shorter than or equaling sepals. Petals obovate or obovate-oblong, *shorter than to 2 × as long as sepals, apex 2-lobed. Stamens shorter than petals. Ovary ovoid, ca. 2 mm. Styles 5, linear, slightly longer than ovary. Capsule cylindric, 8--10 mm, ca. 2 × as long as calyx, 10-toothed, teeth usually recurved. Seeds brown, usually 0.4--0.8 mm in diam., tuberculate. Fl. Apr--Jun, fr. May--Jul. Forests, forest margins, mountain slopes, hilltop grasslands, fields, sandy soils, rock crevices, roadsides; 100--4300 m. 2. *Cerastium glomeratum* Thuillier <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242000277> Herbs annual, *10--20 cm tall.* (Annual herb with straggling, ascending stems up to 45 cm as per POWO <http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:152274-1>) Stems simple or caespitose, densely villous, distally glandular pubescent. Proximal leaves spatulate; *distal leaves **obovate-elliptic**, 1.5--2.5 × 0.5--1 cm, base attenuate into a short petiole,* both surfaces villous, midvein prominent, margin ciliate. *Inflorescence of compact, cymose clusters (**glomerules**);* rachis densely glandular pubescent; bracts leaflike, ovate-elliptic, densely pubescent. Pedicel 1--3 mm, densely pubescent. *Sepals 5, lanceolate, *ca. 4 mm, abaxially densely long glandular pubescent, margin narrowly membranous, apex acute. Petals 5, white, oblong, *subequaling or slightly longer than sepals*, base pilose, apex 2-lobed. Stamens shorter than sepals. Styles 5. Capsule cylindric, 1.5--2 × as long as calyx, 10-toothed. Seeds brown, compressed triangular, tuberculate. Fl. Mar--Apr, fr. May--Jun. Forest margins, mountain slope grasslands, sandy riversides; 100--3700 m. So the main difference appears to be in cyme terminal, spreading, lax, up to 40-flowered, Sepals oblong- or ovate-lanceolate and Petals shorter than or equaling sepals. Petals obovate or obovate-oblong in Cerastium fontanum subsp. vulgare <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242000276> (syn. of *Cerastium holostedides <http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:152312-1>* ) compared to inflorescence of compact, cymose clusters (glomerules), Sepals 5, lanceolate and Petals 5, white, oblong, subequaling or slightly longer than sepals in *Cerastium glomeratum* Thuillier. -- With regards, J.M.Garg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CA%2BiuSFB8c%2Bum5GSJX4fTwjT_BpZH%3DgO3vLyhBy01qv%3DYUX-C9A%40mail.gmail.com.
