Hedge bedstraw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hedge bedstraw |
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| Close up image of the Galium mollugo flower under a dissecting microscope | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Galium
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| Species: |
mollugo
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| Synonyms | |
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Galium mollugo, common name hedge bedstraw or false baby's breath, is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae. It shares the name hedge bedstraw with the related European species, Galium album.
Contents
Description
Galium mollugo can reach a height of 15–100 centimetres (5.9–39.4 in). The stems are square in cross-section, more or less erect with ascending branches. Starting from the axils of leaves it has inflorescences of small white flowers with a diameter of about 1 to 1.5 cm, with four petals. The flowering period extends from May to September.
Habitat
Galium mollugo commonly occurs in hedges, bushes, paths, meadows and slopes at an elevation up to 2,100 metres (6,900 ft) above sea level.
Distribution
Galium mollugo is widely distributed in Europe and North Africa from Denmark, Portugal and Morocco east to the Altay region of Siberia and to the Caucasus. It is naturalized in the Russian Far East, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Greenland, Argentina, Uruguay, and much of North America. It has been reported from the Rocky Mountains, the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevadas and the Appalachian Mountains as well as the Great Lakes region. It is classified as a noxious weed in New York, Pennsylvania and much of New England.
See also
In Spanish: Galium mollugo para niños
