Family: Rubiaceae
forest bedstraw, licorice bedstraw, wild licorice
Etymology: Galium: from Greek word gala, "milk," and alluding to the fact that certain species were used to curdle milk
Plants: erect to drooping, perennial, 8"-24" tall forb, usually unbranched above; stems more or less fuzzy
Leaves: whorls of 4, oval to oblong, widest near the middle, more or less densely hairy
Flowers: greenish to purplish, 4-parted, 1/4" wide, hairy, mostly unstalked; inflorescence terminal or from the upper leaf axils, sometimes with 1 or 2 branches; blooms June-July
Fruits: bristly
Habitat: dry; woods, thickets
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: erect to drooping, perennial, 8"-24" tall forb, usually unbranched above; stems more or less fuzzy
Leaves: whorls of 4, oval to oblong, widest near the middle, more or less densely hairy
Flowers: greenish to purplish, 4-parted, 1/4" wide, hairy, mostly unstalked; inflorescence terminal or from the upper leaf axils, sometimes with 1 or 2 branches; blooms June-July
Fruits: bristly
Habitat: dry; woods, thickets
Conservation Status: Native
Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 7, Wetland Indicator = FACU- USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos Dan Tenaglia's The Missouri Flora: Fabulous photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leave arrangement key.
