categoryZBroadleaf Broadleaf List 
categoryZEvergreen Evergreen List 
categoryZClimbers Climbers List 

WILD MADDER

Rubia peregrina

Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae]

month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

category
category8Broadleaf
category
category8Evergreen
category
category8Climbers
status
statusZnative
flower
flower8cream
inner
inner8green
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
type
typeZspiked
stem
stem8square
stem
stem8fluted
sex
sexZbisexual

26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Just the leaves of a very short plant; it can grow to 1.5m high.


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Both leaves and stems have backwardly hooked points on each edge.


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
A close-up of a stem with tiny backwardly-directed hooks.


5th June 2004, unknown place Photo: © Bastiaan Brak
The flowers are red before opening. The leaves hairless, shiny darkish-green with a central vein, in whorls, usually of 6 to 5 but whorls of 4, 3 or 2 (or even one) are possible near the end of a branch. Only rarely 7 or 8 leaves. The leaves vary between 1 to 5cm long and are either elliptical as here, or narrow-elliptic as in the Llandudno photograph at the top. At each whorl of leaves a flowering stalk may grow, often more than one. Leaf teeth are short and backwardly directed hooks. The stems are square(ish) with a central groove down each side.


17th June 2008, Golden Hill, Freshwater, IoW Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
It is a climber and has scrambled through and all over this hedge, obscuring most of it.


17th June 2008, Golden Hill, Freshwater, IoW Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
Most flowers have yet to open here.


26th June 2008, railway, Yarmouth, IoW Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
Most flowers have opened here. Note interlopers top right and bottom left.


26th June 2008, railway, Yarmouth, IoW Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
One leaf whorl here has 6 leaves in a whorl.


16th Oct 2008, Ventnor, IoW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Helen Slade
But maybe most leaves are in whorls of 4(?).


16th Oct 2008, Ventnor, IoW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Helen Slade
Stems square with central groove.


26th June 2008, railway, Yarmouth, IoW Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill


26th June 2008, railway, Yarmouth, IoW26th June 2008, railway, Yarmouth, IoW Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
The flowers are cream to yellowish cream with a small central pale green area and have 5 petals, 5 concolorous small anthers and a style with 2 stigmas. The fruit is almost round, nearly black and is succulent with only one seed within.


Some similarities to : Madder (Rubia tinctoria) which was once used as a dye. Whereas Wild Madder has but one central leaf vein, Madder has leaves which are longer and have more prominent veins on lower surface and are thinner. The flowers of Madder have longer anthers (0.5 to 0.6mm long as opposed to 0.2 to 0.3mm for Wild Madder) plus they are also the length to width ration of the anthers is 3 to 6 (rather than 1.3 to 3 times for Wild Madder).

It is not in the same Genus as Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis) but is in the same Bedstraw Family Rubiaceae. Field Madder has smaller flowers which are pinkish and have but 4 petals, and although the leaves are also in whorls, they are usually much smaller. The way the stems branch also differs (just singly in Field Madder).

No relation to : Madwort (Asperugo procumbens) [a plant with similar name belonging to a different family].

It is a native plant which grows in rocky places, scrub and hedges and which can scramble through other vegetation, but has no tendrils by which to cling. It is common locally in the South West of England from East Kent to North Wales, in the Southern half of Ireland, and in the Channel Islands. It is mainly a coastal plant. It occurs mainly in the west, that is the Welsh coast, Cornish coast, and Southern coast to the IOW.


  Rubia peregrina  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Rubiaceae  

Distribution
 family8Bedstraw family8Rubiaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Rubia
Rubia
(Madders)

WILD MADDER

Rubia peregrina

Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae]