Cerastium gracile Dufour

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inCaryophyllaceae

Taxonomy: Fam. Caryophyllaceae// Genus: Ceratium // Species: Cerastium gracile Dufour.

Determined according to the botanical key provided by Micevski (1993).

Lifeform: Annual; Therophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native to Northwest Africa, Southwest Europe to France, Southeast Europe to Crimean Peninsula and Turkey according to the distribution information provided by The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: Marhold, 2011+); Native to the West Mediterranean according to the Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Habitat:  Found in open habitats- grasslands, pastures, rocks and rocky terrains with shallow soil.

Flowering period:  Spring: MAR, APR, MAY.

Cerastium gracile – habit.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – habit.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescence with flowers and capsules.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescence with flowers and capsules.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescence with flowers and capsules.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescence with flowers and capsules.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – flowers.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – flower.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – flowers  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – bracts and calix of flower.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – bracts and calyx of flower.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – bracts and calyx of flower.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – capsules.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – stem with cauline leaves.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – stems with cauline leaves.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – stem with cauline leaves.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – stem with cauline leaves.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – basal and lower cauline leaves.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – basal leaves.  Hilly region near village of Beli, 09.04.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Cerastium gracile – habit in habitat.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – habit in habitat.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – habit.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescence.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescences .  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescences with flowers and capsules.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescence with flowers and capsules.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – inflorescence with flowers and capsules.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – stem with cauline leaves.  Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – habit.  Specimen from the Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Cerastium gracile – habit.  Specimen from the Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 25.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Cerastium L. Micevski, K. (1993). The Flora of the Republic of Macedonia Vol. 1, Book 2. Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, pp. 254 – 272.

Cerastium gracile. Marhold, K. (2011): Caryophyllaceae. – In: Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameCache=Cerastium%20gracile&PTRefFk=7200000 [Accessed 14.07.2021].

Cerastium gracile. Marhold, K. (2011+): Caryophyllaceae. – In: Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/a5081060-3224-49ac-ab68-8bbc09f0a431 [Accessed 03.12.2022].

Cerastium gracile Dufour. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:152282-1 [Accessed 19.12.2025].

Last update: 19.12.2025.