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Phloxleaf bedstraw facts for kids

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Phloxleaf bedstraw
Galiumandrewsii.jpg
Scientific classification
Genus:
Galium
Species:
andrewsii

Galium andrewsii is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the coffee family. People often call it phloxleaf bedstraw, Andrews' bedstraw, or needlemat galium.

This plant grows naturally in California and Baja California. You can find it in dry places like chaparral (shrublands) and woodlands.

What is Phloxleaf Bedstraw?

Galium andrewsii is a small plant that grows in clumps or forms a mat on the ground. It usually reaches about 22 centimeters (around 8.5 inches) tall.

Leaves and Stems

Its branches are thin and have narrow, needle-like leaves. These leaves are green to grayish and grow in groups of four, called whorls. Each leaf can be up to one centimeter long and has a sharp, hair-tipped point.

Flowers and Reproduction

This plant is dioecious. This means that individual plants have either male flowers or female flowers, but not both. Male flowers grow in clusters. Female flowers grow by themselves. Both types of flowers are greenish-yellow and look quite similar.

After the female flowers are pollinated, they produce a berry as their fruit.

Different Kinds of Phloxleaf Bedstraw

There are two main types, or subspecies, of Galium andrewsii:

  • Galium andrewsii ssp. andrewsii
  • Galium andrewsii ssp. gatense

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Galium andrewsii para niños

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