General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems weak, climbing or prostrate, solitary, few branched, square, short-hairy on the angles, the hairs pointed downwards, 10-100 cm tall/long.
Leaves: Basal leaves few, soon deciduous; stem leaves in whorls of 8 (sometimes 6), narrowly oblanceolate, 1-4 (7) cm long, lowermost stalked, upper ones unstalked, entire, awn-tipped, 1-veined, bristly-hairy along the margins, bristly-hairy above, with hooked hairs, the hairs pointed backwards.
Flowers: Inflorescence of 3-5, stalked, terminal flowers on branchlets in most leaf axils; corollas saucer-shaped, white, 1.6-2 mm wide, 4-lobed; calyces obsolete.
Fruits: Nutlets, 2, 3-5 mm wide, with numerous, short, hooked hairs.
Moist to mesic fields, waste places, beaches and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common on Vancouver Island, less frequent on Queen Charlotte Islands, SW BC and SC BC; circumpolar, N to S AK, E to NF and S to FL, TX and CA; Eurasia.
There is debate as to the origin status of this species. While some consider it native to North America, some feel it is introduced. It is possible it is native but that it has also been introduced from Europe (Gucker 2005).
References Gucker, Corey L. 2005. Galium aparine. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available Online.
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Galium aparine
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)
A shade-tolerant/intolerant, submontane to montane, circumpolar forb (transcontinental in North America). Occurs in cool temperate and cool mesothermal climates on nitrogen-rich soils: its occurrence decreases with increasing elevation. Common in herbaceous communities on disturbed sites; sporadic in open-canopy, broad-leaved forests on water-shedding and water-receiving sites. A nitrophytic species characteristic of Moder and Mull humus forms.
