California bedstraw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California bedstraw |
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| ssp. sierrae | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Galium
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| Species: |
californicum
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Galium californicum, also known as California bedstraw, is a type of flowering plant in the coffee family. It's a plant that grows only in California. You can usually find it in damp, shady places in hills and mountains, often in areas with chaparral and woodlands.
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What it Looks Like
California bedstraw is a plant that can look different depending on where it grows. It can be a small plant that lives for many years (a perennial herb) or a sprawling, woody shrub that can grow up to about 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall. Its stems and small, oval-shaped leaves are covered in tiny hairs.
This plant is special because it's dioecious. This means that some plants are male and some are female. Male plants have small groups of flowers that produce pollen (called staminate flowers). Female plants have single flowers that can produce seeds. Both types of flowers are usually a dull yellow color. After the female flowers are pollinated, they produce a small, soft, hairy fruit that looks like a berry.
Different Types of California Bedstraw
There are seven different types, or subspecies, of California bedstraw. All of them grow only in California. Here are some of them:
- Galium californicum subsp. californicum — This is the most common type of California bedstraw. It grows in the Santa Lucia Mountains along the central coast.
- Galium californicum subsp. flaccidum — This type is found in the Santa Lucia Mountains, other Coast Ranges, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Galium californicum subsp. luciense — Also called Cone Peak bedstraw, this subspecies is found only in the Santa Lucia Mountains. It's considered a rare plant by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS).
- Galium californicum subsp. maritimum — Known as Coastal California bedstraw, this one grows along the coast from the San Francisco Peninsula down to Southern California.
- Galium californicum subsp. miguelense — This type, called San Miguel Island bedstraw, is found only on San Miguel Island, one of the northern Channel Islands off Southern California. It's also a rare CNPS species.
- Galium californicum subsp. primum — This subspecies grows in the San Jacinto Mountains and Chino Hills in Riverside County, California. It's listed as a threatened species by the state.
- Galium californicum subsp. sierrae — This is the El Dorado bedstraw. It grows in the Sierra Nevada foothills in El Dorado County. It's a rare species for the state and is listed as an endangered species by the federal government.
Protecting El Dorado Bedstraw
One of the most important subspecies to protect is the El Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum subsp. sierrae). It's listed as a Rare plant by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and the State of California. It's also a federally Endangered species in the United States.
This special plant grows in unique soils called gabbro soils. You can find it in the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve and nearby areas. These places are part of the interior chaparral and woodlands in the Sierra Nevada foothills of El Dorado County, in eastern California. The El Dorado bedstraw has narrower leaves compared to the common California bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. californicum). Protecting its habitat is very important for its survival.
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