Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae] |
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
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sicklysex
20th June 2012, Taxal Moor, Whaley Bridge, Derbys. | Photo: © RWD |
By far the commonest bedstraw of acid soils. Spreading, mat-forming and sprawling, but only up to 20cm high (unlike Hedge Bedstrawwhich reaches up to 120cm). |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
Birds-eye view. Sprawling along the ground with some spikes erect. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
Same plant, some stems are broken, others let to live another day. There are between 6 to 8 leaflets in a whorl. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
Spreads horizontally before making a break upwards. This specimen conveniently on top of a wall at arm height. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowersat the end of each stem are not yet fully developed |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
Has whorls of leaves with between 6 to 8 leaves in a whorl, the whorls of various diameters. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
A whorl at every node (where a stalk branches off). |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
The stems are square and ribbed. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
Between 6 to 8 whorls of leaves around every junction, and between 7 to 10mm long. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
The leaves are fairly wide and widest just beyond the middle of their length. The edges of the leaves have tiny forwardly-directed bristles and a longer mucronate tip at the end. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
The obverse of the leaf. They have just one rib, down the centre, and which is raised on the obverse. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
These flowers are not yet open. |
9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Lonsdale, Yorks. | Photo: © RWD |
Nor these flowers. |
6th June 2009, Mottistone, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill |
But these are in flower. |
24th May 2011, the common, Lake, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
The flowers are 3mm across and nominally have 4 petals [as for all Galium Bedstraws] (but two flowers here have only 3 petals - aberrations do occur). |
6th June 2009, Mottistone, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill |
6th June 2009, Mottistone, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill |
The fruits are without hairs and have pointed tubercles. |
24th May 2011, the common, Lake, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
All Bedstraws have 4 petals (but not all species have white petals). They also have 4 anthers. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Stephen, Yorks. |
These specimens were hidden amongst taller grasses so have not yet developed flowers. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Stephen, Yorks. |
Six to eight leaves in a whorl. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirby Stephen, Yorks. |
The teeth on the edges of leaves are short and forwardly directed. |
Easily mistaken for its limestone counterparts : the northern Many similarities to : Cleavers (Galium aparine) but that has short downward-pointing prickles on each of the four ribs of the stems, which makes it stick to clothing and sheep or other furry animals (whereas Heath Bedstraw has completely hairless stems and forwardly-directed pricles on the edges of its leaves. However, the leaves of Heath Bedstraw,0 at 5-11mm are, much shorter than those of Cleavers at 10-60mm long.
Some similarities to : Marsh Bedstraw (Galium palustre) and its two sub-species, Identification of Bedstraws is never easy.
No relation to : It is native and grows in dry grasslands, moorlands, open rocky woodlands but only on acidic soils up to a height of 1215m!! It is common almost throughout the British Isles. |
Galium | saxatile | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Rubiaceae |
Galium (Bedstraws) |
Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae] |