LIMESTONE BEDSTRAW

Galium sterneri

Bedstraw [Rubiaceae]

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

flower
flower8white		 inner
inner8green		 morph
morph8actino		 petals
petalsZ4		 type
typeZclustered		 stem
stem8square

15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The limestone counterpart of acid-loving Heath Bedstraw.


15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
It is more mat-forming than Heath Bedstraw and has creamier white petals.


15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The flowers are tiny, 2 to 3mm across, and clustered together.


15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The flowers are in small clusters and mostly at the ends of branched stalks with whorls of narrow linear leaves. The stems become redder nearer the ground.


15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
A cluster of small 4-petalled white flowers on branched square stalks. Some flowers not yet open. The number of leaves in a whorl varies from 3 to perhaps 8.


15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Four pointed creamy-white petals with four anthers with creamy yellow pollen.


15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Whorls of up to 8 narrow linear leaves, pointed at the ends with minute short terminating bristle.


15th June 2010, Hampsfell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Sometimes reddish stems. The leaves have minute backwardly directed short marginal prickles. (evident on left leaf).

Easily confused with : Slender Bedstraw (Galium pumilum)[another limestone-loving bedstraw which occupies southerly limestone areas of the UK, rather than the more northerly areas of Limestone Bedstraw].

Not to be confused with : Flower [a plant with similar name]

Some similarities to : Heath Bedstraw, but Heath Bedstraw loves heaths and other acidic soils rather than the alkaline of Limestone Bedstraw. Heath Bedstraw has whiter flowers.

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Distribution
family8Bedstraw family8Rubiaceae
BSBI maps
genus8Galium
Galium
(Bedstraws)

LIMESTONE BEDSTRAW

Galium sterneri

Bedstraw [Rubiaceae]

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