14. Galium verum L. (yellow bedstraw, Our Lady’s bedstraw)
Pl. 549 c; Map
2548
Plants
perennial, sometimes somewhat woody at the base and/or with a woody rootstock.
Stems 25–100 cm long, erect to loosely ascending, often weak and clambering on
other vegetation and/or matted, usually well-branched toward the tip, also
usually with relatively well-developed but often short axillary branches below
the flowering portion, evenly and moderately to densely pubescent with minute
to short, wavy, soft, spreading or somewhat downward-curved hairs on and
between the angles. Leaves 6–8(–12) per node, sometimes apparently more
numerous because of short axillary branches, more or less spreading in
orientation. Leaf blades 5–20 mm long (sometimes 0.2–0.4 mm along the flowering
branches), 0.5–2.0 mm wide, very narrowly triangular to more commonly linear,
angled or tapered to a sharply pointed tip, the midvein usually extended into a
minute, sharp point, truncate or slightly tapered at the base, the undersurface
(difficult to observe) not glandular, densely and evenly pubescent with minute
curled hairs (sometimes appearing mealy), usually also with dense, slightly
longer, straight, stiff hairs along the midvein, the venation with only the
midvein visible, the margins and upper surface roughened with minute to short,
stiff, ascending hairs (or the margins glabrous, but this usually impossible to
observe), strongly curled under. Inflorescences terminal and also axillary from
leaves in the apical 1/3 of the stem, not pendant, positioned over the leaves,
consisting of small (1–2 cm long), stalked panicles, with mostly 3–6 branch
points, the apical 1/3 of the stem with its reduced leaves and dense
inflorescences often resembling a single, highly branched panicle. Flowers
mostly numerous, the stalks 1–2 mm long. Corollas 1.2–1.5 mm long, 4-lobed,
yellow. Fruits 0.8–1.2 mm long, 0.8–1.2 mm wide, the surface glabrous, smooth.
2n=22, 44. May–July.
Introduced,
uncommon, known thus far only from a single historical specimen from Adair
County (native of Europe, Asia; introduced widely but sporadically in the
northern U.S. south to California, Colorado, and North Carolina; Canada,
Greenland). Habitat unknown.
This native of
the Mediterranean region is cultivated as an ornamental, mostly in shade
gardens. The flowers have a strong, sweet odor, which some persons find
pleasant and others definitely do not. Steyermark also noted some uses of G.
verum, as follows: “This is the species of bedstraw which is claimed to
have been the one which filled the Christ Child’s manger at Bethlehem, and
later on was used for stuffing mattresses. The distilled flowering tops are
made into a beverage, and a type of cheese, made from the milk of sheep and
goats, is prepared from the plant when mixed with rennet from calves.” Galium
verum additionally has provided a medicinal styptic, a red dye, and, no
doubt, other useful substances.
Also cultivated
in Missouri is Galium mollugo L. (false baby’s breath), which
occasionally escapes and becomes naturalized in the eastern United States. This
species is quite similar to G. verum but can be distinguished by its
glabrous, smooth stems and white to pale green flowers.