rough bedstraw

not listed

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

not listed

OBL - Obligate wetland

OBL - Obligate wetland

OBL - Obligate wetland

Rough bedstraw is a sprawling, up to 7′ long, perennial forb that rises from a creeping rhizome.

The stems lie flat on the ground (prostrate) or climb awkwardly on adjacent vegetation (scrambling). They are slender, weak, 4-angled, usually much branched, and green, sometimes tinged with red. They are rough with minute, stiff, prickly, downward curved (hooked) hairs on the angles and usually also between the angles. The nodes of the stem are often surrounded with a ring of short, straight, spreading hairs.

The leaves are spreading or slightly ascending and stalkless. They are in whorls of 6 on the main stem, whorls of 4 or 5 on the branches. The blades are narrowly elliptic to inversely lance-shaped, ⅜″ to ¾″ long, and ⅛″ to ¼″ wide. They are widest above the middle, sharply pointed at the tip, and angled or squared off at the base. They have a single prominent vein running from the base to the tip, and an abrupt, short, sharp, firm point at the tip. The upper surface is hairless. The lower surface is hairless except for short, stiff, prickly hairs along the midrib. There are no glands (appearing as lines or streaks) on the lower surface. The margins are untoothed and are often somewhat curled under. They are rough with a fringe of short, stiff, prickly hairs.

The inflorescence is a small, branched, few-flowered cluster at the end of the stem and rising from the upper leaf axils. The inflorescence branches are ascending, held above the leaves, and forked 1 to 3 times.

The flowers are ⅛″ wide. There are no sepals, 4 petals, 4 stamens, and 2 styles. The petals are white, joined at the base into a minute tube, then separated onto 4 lobes. The lobes are spreading, egg-shaped, and pointed at the tip. The stamens have yellow anthers and are shorter than the corolla. The styles are shorter than the corolla and are topped with a white, head-like stigma. The ovary has two chambers and 2 lobes.

The fruit is a green, hairless, 1 ⁄32″ to 1 ⁄16″long, 1 ⁄32″ wide, 1-seeded capsule, joined in pairs and separating at maturity.

Sprawling: up to 7′ long

White

Shining bedstraw (Galium concinnum) has no hooked hairs on the stem or leaves. The leaves are narrower, no more than ⅛″ wide.

Wet. Woods, thickets, marshes, swamps, calcareous fens, and streamsides.

July to September

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Common