Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae] |
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
28th June 2011, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Grows up to 1m high in marshy areas on neutral to mildly acidic soils. |
27th June 2015, Knowsley Safari Pk, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Scrambles through undergrowth. |
28th June 2011, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Whorls of leaves (up to 5) at branch-nodes, mostly 4-5 apart from near the top. Flowers in small bunches - either conical for sub-species ssp. elongatum which has slightly larger flowers (3 - 4.5mm across) or in a flattish inflorescence for ssp. palustre which has slightly smaller flowers (2 - 3.5mm across). |
28th June 2011, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers have 4 white petals, four stamens with brown anthers and two white styles. All leaves lack a minute prickle at the tip, and most are also bluntly rounded at the tip too. |
28th June 2011, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
White styles discoidal (flower bottom left). |
27th June 2015, Knowsley Safari Pk, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Un-opened flower buds. This specimen has more prominent short hairs on the leaf edges. |
23rd July 2015, Birkdale Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
11th June 2016, Cronton ex-Colliery reserve, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
23rd July 2015, Birkdale Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The ovary at the rear is double-barrelled and smooth. It will swell up when the flower is fertilised to become the double-fruit. |
28th June 2011, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
All leaves are bluntish at tip and lack a prickle (mucronate point). |
27th June 2015, Knowsley Safari Pk, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Un-like most other Bedstraws it is only slightly rough to the touch, neither the square stems nor leaf edges have much in the way of longer stiff hairs as most other Bedstraws do, mostly they are very short. |
11th June 2016, Cronton ex-Colliery reserve, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
Short hairs on stem are directed towards the roots. |
11th June 2016, Cronton ex-Colliery reserve, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
Whilst the short hairs on the leaves are directed towards the stem. |
27th June 2015, Knowsley Safari Pk, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
(The lower two 'branches' are actually part of the whorl of leaves) |
27th June 2015, Knowsley Safari Pk, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Between 4 to 5 leaves in a whorl (five on far left) [but the upper part of plant might have but 3 or even only 2 in a 'whorl' - if you can call it that]. |
Easily mis-identified as : Marsh Bedstraw comes as one of two sub-species :
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Galium | palustre | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Rubiaceae |
Galium (Bedstraws) |
Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae] |