The Bedstraw Family
What are they?
Worldwide, the bedstraw family (Rubiaceae) is a very variable group of plants, with the tropics being home to many woody trees and shrubs. In our region, members of this family are all herbaceous plants with leaves in whorls of usually four to six on square stems. The leaf margins and sometimes stem edges are often furnished with prickles which help the plants scramble over and through surrounding vegetation. Flowers have four petals, usually with pointed tips, carried in open, terminal clusters.
Where are they found?
Most of our species are annuals of disturbed areas or perennials of open, often grassy places. Some are found in wetlands and others in shade, so habitat can be useful in determining some of the species.
Identification
Flower colour is a good starting point to narrow the field. For the white- and greenish-flowered species, details of prickles on the leaf edges and/or stems and prickles on the fruits should be noted. Leaf detail, especially the shape of the leaf tip is also useful.
Sweet Woodruff Galium odoratum
Occurs as a native in good quality, ancient woodland on chalk or boulder clay soils; also occasionally as a garden escape or introduction on roadsides or in churchyards. Flowers May to June. Forms low, spreading patches of bright green leaves, topped with flat-headed clusters of white flowers. Leaves vanilla-scented when crushed.
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Fen Bedstraw Galium uliginosum
Native. Widespread (though often rather local) in wetlands, most typically in species-rich, tall-herb fens. Flowers June to August. A slender, scrambling species, told from the similar Marsh Bedstraw by the obviously sharply-pointed leaves.
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Marsh Bedstraw Galium palustre
Native. Widespread and common in a wide range of wetland habitats. Flowers June to August. A slender, scrambling species, told from the similar Fen Bedstraw by the bluntly-rounded tips to the leaves.
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Hedge Bedstraw Galium album
Native. Widespread and common in grassy places, especially roadsides on boulder clay. Flowers June to September. Formerly recognised as Galium mollugo, the common form has relatively broad, round-tipped leaves and grows into large, straggling plants with much-branched flowering heads. A smaller form, with narrower leaves and less spreading flowering heads occurs on lighter, sandier soils and is sometimes recognised as Galium erectum.
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Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile
Native. Common on dry, sandy heaths and a good indicator species of such habitats, both on grassy heath and on areas dominated by mosses and lichens. Flowers June to August. A low species, forming rounded mats of vegetation and becoming low tussocks when in flower.
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Wall Bedstraw Galium parisiense
Native. A scarce species nationally and perhaps most frequent in the East Anglian region. Occurs thinly scattered in dry, usually chalky soil in Breckland, as well as growing on the walls of a few ancient monuments. Flowers June to July. An easily overlooked species, being rather slender and fragile with often dull, olive-coloured or reddish foliage and flowers.
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Common Cleavers Galium aparine
Native. An abundant species found in a wide range of habitats and, along with Common Hogweed and Common Nettle, a species that does well in the nutrient-enriched habitats of agricultural country. Flowers mostly June to August. The bristly leaves and stems cling readily to clothing and give the plant such familiar names as 'lovegrass' and 'sticky Willy'. Flowers dull, yellowish-white and fruits with many, hooked bristles.
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Corn Cleavers Galium tricornutum
Once common as an arable weed and probably an ancient introduction from the Continent but not recorded in East Anglia since the 1990s and probably now extinct in our region. Flowers May to September. Flowers off-white, fruits without hooked bristles but covered in small tubercles and with recurved stalks.
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Hybrid Bedstraw Galium x pomeranicum
Native. A rare hybrid between Hedge and Lady's Bedstraws and appearing intermediate between the two parents. Most frequently recorded in the Cambridge area, perhaps where the two parents are most likely to be found in close proximity.
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Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum
Native. Common on light, chalky or neutral soils and found in a wide range of open, grassy places including heaths, roadsides and coastal dunes. Flowers July to August. The very narrow, dark green leaves are easily overlooked amongst grass stems, but when in flower, the frothy heads of bright yellow are readily identified.
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Common Crosswort Cruciata laevipes
Native. Widespread though often rather local on heavier soils in grassy places such as roadsides, hedgebanks and woodland rides. Flowers May to June. A distinctive plant with its leaves in whorls of four, greenish-yellow flowers and overall furry look.
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Field Madder Sherardia arvensis
Native. A widespread annual of mostly dry, sandy soils on tracks and other open, bare areas including arable fields. Flowers May to September. A low-growing, mat-forming species, the early leaves being rather broad and later leaves on flowering shoots more pointed. Flowers a distinctive pale lilac colour.
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Squinancywort Cynanchica pyrenaica
(Asperula cynanchica ) Native. Found in short-grazed grassland on chalk, now much rarer than formerly and more or less confined to Breckland and the Newmarket area. Flowers June to July. A delicate plant with needle-like leaves and flowers in terminal heads that may be white or pink, both forms having deeply grooved veins on the petals.
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Caucasian Crosswort Phuopsis stylosa
Introduced from south-west Asia as a garden ornamental and recorded less than 10 times as a garden escape. Flowers June to August. A creeping plant that forms spreading colonies of stems with leaves in whorls of 6-9. Flowers appear in rounded clusters at the tips of the stems.
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