Galium species - Bedstraws

Galium, Bedstraws all have a circle of leaves (whorl) arising from the stem. The flowers are small, four-petalled and are not stalked (sessile). The fruits are a pair of nutlets. Most are perennials except the commonest one Cleavers, G. aparine which is an annual.

The important features to identify them are the type of hairs (hooked or not and direction) and the tips of the leaves (rounded or with a small point projecting, mucronate).

Galium aparine - Cleavers, Goosegrass or Sticky Willie

The commonest and most familiar member of the family.

Galium album - Hedge Bedstraw

This is a more robust plant than G. palustre. The leaves are 5 -8 per whorl with a small to obvious point at the tip (mucronate). Similarly the flowers lobes also end in a short point. The stem is smooth. It was previously named G. mollugo. It is sometimes included in seed-mixes.

Galium odoratum - Woodruff

This is a large bedstraws, both the leaves and flowers. It has a lovely scent and is a marker of an ancient woodland, so is often in botanically interesting areas.

Galium palustre - Marsh-bedstraw

The stem can be smooth or more usually rough, the leaves never have a mucronate tip.

There are 4 -6 leaves usually per whorl with one vein.

Galium uliginosum - Fen Bedstraw

This is like a weaker, more slender, scrambling form of G. palustre, which grows in base-rich marshes or fens.

Galium boreale - Northern Bedstraw

The leaves in whorls of 4 leaves, with 3 prominent veins. Usually hairless, but in the mountains often downy on stems and leaves. Fruits have hooked bristles.

Galium saxatile - Heath Bedstraw

This is an annual, scrambling to 3m. The leaves are mostly in whorls of 5 or more.

Galium aparine NS5958 07May19 PW

The stem, leaves and large fruits (3mm excluding bristles), all have hooked bristles.

Galium aparine NS5963 16Jun20 PW

Flowers from base of leaf stems (axillary) and corolla tube is less than 1mm long. The leaves ended in a short bristle.

Galium aparine NS8549 12July20 DG

Notice that the petals end in a point at the apex which is usually > 0.2mm.

Galium album NS6739 26Aug2017 PW

The leaves end in a short point and both the stem and leaves are smooth.

Galium album NS6739 26Aug2017 PW

It is more erect and can be 1.5m tall.

Galium album 1Jun2017 NS6860 MP

It can develop large stands.

Galium album NS6258 14July23 PW

Both the leaves and fruits are larger than the other Galium. It is erect to 45cm.

Galium odoratum 6May2017 NS5857 PW

The larger flowers have tubes ±as long as the lobes, which a strong sweet scent.

Galium odoratum 6May2017 NS5857 PW

The stem is smooth and the broader leaves have clear lateral veins.

Galium odoratum NS7551 14May22 PW

Later in the season, the whorled leaves are distictive and the paired fruits have hooked hairs.

Galium odoratum NS7949 3Aug2020 MP

This is usually a sprawling plant growing through rushes in acid, marshy areas.

Galium palustre 30May2016 NS7846 MP

The tips are blunt and with no pointed tip. The stem is usually rough, but can be smooth. with 4-6 leaves per whorl.

Galium palustre NS6638 26Aug2017 PW

The stem is four angled and can grow to 1m in length..

Galium palustre NS6638 26Aug2017 PW

All Galiums are subject to various parasites. In this case this is a midge gall which produces these pale pink swellings.

Galium palustre NS5870 5Oct19 PW

Leaves are most often in whorls of six (or eight) around the stem. Despite their slenderness, the stems are always rough to the touch.

The backwardly directed hairs on the leaf margins (that is, pointing towards the leaf base) are given as the way to distinguish it from G palustre, and this can be clearly seen here. However, often the hairs can be found going both ways!

More reliable is the long, slender, bristle-like leaf tip.

Galium uliginosum NS 7622 24Sep2017 PW

Galium uliginosum NT0332 02Jun19 PW

Erect perennial to 45cm.

Galium boreale NS9528 08June2009 JH

Leaves in whorls of 4 and the fruit have hooked bristles.

Galium boreale NS9426 10Jun2018 MP

The leaves are also broader with clear secondary veins.

Galium boreale NS9426 30Jun2018 PW

The only yellow-flowered Bedstraw we have in Lanarkshire. The flowers are in a terminal spike.

Galium verum NS6258 14July23 PW

The dark green, pointed, shiny leaves are distinctive.

Galium verum NS6258 14July23 PW

Galium verum NS6057 1June2018 PW

Galium saxatile NS7848 07Jun2020 MP