Galium kamtschaticum Steller ex Schult. & Schult. f.
boreal bedstraw (northern wild-licorice)
Rubiaceae (Madder family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Nancy Turner     (Photo ID #74947)

Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Galium kamtschaticum
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; stems erect, solitary, simple, round, smooth or sparsely hairy, 10-30 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves soon deciduous or lacking; stem leaves in whorls of 4, egg-shaped to elliptic, awl-like at the tips, 1-3 cm long, sparsely hairy, with marginal hairs, these pointing forward, 3-veined, unstalked, the lower whorls smaller than upper ones.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a small open cluster of 1-3 (6) stalked flowers arising from the centre of the uppermost leaf whorl; corollas whitish to greenish, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, 4-lobed; calyces obsolete.
Fruits:
Nutlets, 2, 1.2-1.5 mm long, with numerous, short, hooked hairs.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Galium kamtschaticum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
 Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max
Elevation (metres)
 566 2 1500
Slope Gradient (%)
 13 0 85

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

 284 0 344
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		4 3 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
 D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
 63
Modal BEC Zone Class
 CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

 BWBS(1), CWH(32), ICH(13), IDF(1), MH(1), SBS(10)

Habitat and Range

Moist streambanks, thickets, forests and talus slopes in the lowland and montane zones; infrequent in coastal and C BC; rare in SE BC; amphiberingian, N to AK, E to NF and S to NY and ME; E Asia.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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