Galium (bedstraw)

Galium is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, with about 400 species occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Most species are known as bedstraw.


USES
Galium, or Ladies' straw, was used as a red dye during Anglo-Saxon times in England.


Slected species
Galium album (Upright Bedstraw) is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae. This plant is native to Europe and has several common names, including Upright bedstraw, Upright hedge bedstraw and White bedstraw.

Galium angustifolium is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common name narrowleaf bedstraw. It is native to California and Baja California, where it is most commonly found in low elevation mountains. This is a stocky perennial herb or small shrub growing from a woody base and producing sprawling stems from a few centimeters to nearly a meter in length. Leaves grow in whorls of four about the stem at intervals, and the stem may branch at these points. The inflorescence is a panicle containing several flowers. The plant is dioecious, with male and female flowers similar in appearance with greenish-yellow flower parts. The fruit is a nutlet covered in long bristly white or yellowish hairs.

Galium matthewsii is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common names bushy bedstraw and Matthews' bedstraw. It is native to the mountains and deserts of eastern California, and its range extends just into Nevada. This is a shrubby perennial growing from a woody base and reaching heights of about 20 to 30 centimeters. It forms short, thin, tangled masses. The small, sharp-pointed leaves grow in whorls of four about the stem at intervals. The plant is dioecious, but male and female flowers are similar in appearance and grow in clustered inflorescences of hairy yellow corollas. The fruit is a nutlet covered with very long, straight, white hairs.

Galium multiflorum is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common names Kellogg's bedstraw, shrubby bedstraw, and manyflowered bedstraw. It is native to the mountains, desert slopes, and plateaus of eastern California and western Nevada, where it grows in rocky soils in dry sagebrush country. This is a tough perennial herb growing from a woody base and forming thin, erect stems to about 35 centimeters in height. Leaves are arranged in whorls of four, in two pairs, about the stem at intervals. They are small, oval-shaped, and pointed. The plant is dioecious, and male and female flowers are similar, appearing in clusters of white to pinkish corollas at the ends of the stems. The fruit is a nutlet covered in very long, straight white hairs.

Galium arenarium (Sand Bedstraw)

Galium bifolium is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common names twinleaf bedstraw and low mountain bedstraw. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Colorado, where it grows in mountain forests and high-elevation plateaus. This is an annual herb standing erect to a maximum height of about 15 centimeters. Leaves grow in whorls of four divided into two pairs. The foliage is hairless and sometimes slightly fleshy. The solitary flowers have three white tepals and the fruit is a round nutlet covered in shiny white hairs.

Galium saxatile or Heath Bedstraw - It is a perennial matt forming herb, found on grassland, moors, heaths and woods. It can reach a height of 20 cm, and flowers in the UK from May to August.

Galium rotundifolium

Galium clementis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common name Santa Lucia bedstraw. It is endemic to the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California. This is a mat-forming perennial herb forming carpetlike dull green patches amongst the rock litter. The thick leaves are arranged in whorls of four, or occasionally six, about the stem. The foliage is covered thickly in gray hairs. The plant is dioecious, with male plants producing small clusters of staminate flowers and female plants producing solitary pistillate flowers; both types of flower are generally yellow. The fruit is a berry covered in soft hairs.

Galium californicum is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common name California bedstraw. It is endemic to California, where it grows mainly in moist, shady habitat in mountainous areas. This is a variable plant in the form of a small perennial herb to a sprawling woody-based shrub approaching a meter in height. Its stems and small oval-shaped leaves are hairy. The plant is dioecious with male plants producing small clusters of staminate flowers and female plants producing solitary flowers. Both types of flower are generally dull yellow. The fruit is a berry covered in soft hairs.

Peony Flowers

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