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Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae] |
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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 : 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 : 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.
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Rubia | peregrina | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Rubiaceae |
Rubia (Madders) |
Bedstraw Family [Rubiaceae] |