Galium saxatile explained

Galium saxatile or heath bedstraw is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is related to cleavers.

Galium saxatile is a perennial mat-forming herb, found on grassland, moors, heaths and woods. It can reach a height of, and flowers in the UK from May to August. The stems are hairless and four sided. Its leaves are 8- long, with 6–8 per whorl, and are lanceolate or obovate in shape. The mountain ringlet butterfly uses the plant for nectar.^{[1] [2]}

Galium saxatile avoids calcareous substrate and mainly grows on light siliceous soils^{[3] [4]} and is widespread across much of northern and central Europe from Portugal and Ireland to Scandinavia, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. It is also reportedly sparingly naturalized in Quebec, California and the Falkland Islands.^{[5] [6]}

References

• The Wild Flower Key British Isles – NW Europe by Francis Rose
• Wild Flowers of Britain by Roger Phillips

External links

• Skye Flora
• Luontoportti, Nature Gate, Heath Bedstraw
• Tela Botanica
• Den Virtuella floran, Stenmåra, Galium saxatile L.
• Besançon, Gaillet des rochers, Galium saxatile
• Wilde planten in Nederland en België, Liggend walstro, Plat slyt, Gaillet des rochers, Harzer Labkraut, Heath Bedstraw

Notes and References

1. Web site: Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile . Postcode plants database. Natural History Museum . London . 19 August 2013.
2. http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Galium%20saxatile.png Biota of North America Project
3. Tansley . A. G. . 1917 . On Competition Between Galium Saxatile L. (G. Hercynicum Weig.) and Galium Sylvestre Poll. (G. Asperum Schreb.) On Different Types of Soil . Journal of Ecology . 5 . 3/4 . 173–179 . 10.2307/2255655 . 0022-0477.
4. Mirek . Zbigniew . Piękoś-Mirkowa . Halina . 1984 . Distribution and habitats of Galium saxatile L. in the Carpathian Mountains . Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae . en-US . 53 . 3 . 419–427 . 10.5586/asbp.1984.037 . 2083-9480. free .
5. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=87432 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
6. http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=galium+saxatile Altervista Flora Italiana