Cerastium melanandrum Maximowicz, Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, Sér. 3, 26: 429. 1880.

Herbs annual. Roots slender. Stems inclined proximally, simple or dichotomously branched at base, brown, 6--10 cm, glandular pubescent, with sterile, axillary branches. Proximal cauline leaves shortly petiolate; distal cauline leaves sessile; leaf blade orbicular-lanceolate or orbicular, 1--1.8 cm × 3--5 mm, midvein impressed, base narrowed, margin sparsely ciliate, apex obtuse. Cymes 1--3-flowered; flowers erect; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 6--10 × 2--3 mm, base narrowed, margin ciliate, apex acute. Pedicel 0.5--2 cm, densely glandular villous. Sepals 5, green abaxially, elliptic, 5--6 × ca. 2 mm, sparsely dark violet glandular villous, 1-veined, base broadened, margin narrowly membranous, ciliate, apex obtuse. Petals 5, white, broadly ovate, 1--1.2 cm × 5--6 mm, base narrowly clawed, apex emarginate. Floral disc saucer-shaped, with 5 elliptic glands. Stamens 10; filaments usually longer than sepals; anthers dark violet. Ovary ovoid, ca. 3 mm. Styles 2 or 3, ca. 3 mm; stigma clavate. Capsule stipitate, globose-ovoid, 4--5 mm, slightly shorter than persistent sepals, 4--6-valved. Seeds gray-brown, ovoid, ca. 1 mm, with curls on surface. Fl. Jul, fr. Aug.

This species is used medicinally.

* Alpine meadows, shifting screes; 3700--5000 m. Gansu, Qinghai, SW Sichuan, Xizang [?Nepal, ?Sikkim].