Rubiaceae

Galium trifidum

Small Bedstraw

Sprawling or tangled, weak-stemmed. Stems 4–25 in. long. Stems and leaves covered with sandpaper-like bristles. Leaves narrow, in whorls of 4–6. Flower clusters of 1–3 flowers are held on ends of short side stems with whorls of leaves. Flowers 3-lobed, white or pink. Seed nutlets smooth. Grows to high elevations in bogs, ditches, edges of streams, on both fresh- and saltwater beaches. Similar G. bifolium has one 3-lobed flower per stalk, stalks in pairs in elongating cluster. Leaves 2–4 in whorl. There are many other galiums in our region not included here. Most are sprawling and hard to tell apart without a technical manual.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: All Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 4--20 inches
• Habitat: Coastal, Bog/Fen/Wetland, Moist Riverbanks, West-Side Forest
• Found In: Wallowas, Mt. Rainier Np, Olympic Np, Crater Lake Np, N Cascades Np, Siskiyous
• Native: Yes