Galium palustre

Marsh bedstraw
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Galium
Species:
G. palustre
Binomial name
Galium palustre

Galium palustre, the common marsh bedstraw[1] or simply marsh-bedstraw,[2] is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae. This plant is widely distributed, native to virtually every country in Europe, plus Morocco, the Azores, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Western Siberia, Greenland, eastern Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon, and parts of the United States (primarily the Michigan and the Northeast, but with isolated populations in Tennessee, Montana, Washington and Oregon). The species is classified as a noxious weed in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire. It is considered naturalized in Kamchatka, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.[3][4][5][6]

Ecology

In Britain, Galium palustre is part of the British NVC Community M23 (Juncus effusus/acutiflorus – Galium palustre rush-pasture). It is a component of Purple moor grass and rush pastures - a type of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in the UK. It occurs on poorly drained neutral and acidic soils of the lowlands and upland fringe. It is found in the South West of England, especially in Devon.

References

  1. ^ NRCS. "Galium palustre". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  2. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. ^ "USDA Plants Database".
  4. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  5. ^ Biota of North America Program
  6. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana