Rough Bedstraw, Galium asprellum, Minnesota Native wildflowers, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Rough Bedstraw	Galium asprellum Michx.	Madder	Woodland	Early to Late Summer
Other names and notes	The small 1/8" flowers have four petals and appear in a group usually less that 3/4 inch wide, and that as part of a cluster that may branch 1 to 3 times. Clusters form from leaf axils and from the branch terminal. The plant may be erect to sprawling and if sprawling it may grow to 7 feet. Stems are 4-angled and prickly on the angles. Leaves on the main stem are in whorls of 6 and rough also. Side branches may have whorls of 4 or 5 leaves. They are elliptical to lance like with the widest part above the middle and sharply pointed.


Above: Flower cluster detail. Photo ©Merel R. Black, University of Wisconsin, Steven’s Point	Above: A terminal branch showing flower clusters arising from the axils and the terminal and the angled stem at the right.

Notes: Eloise Butler recorded this plant as being present in the Garden, perhaps as early as 1907 when she noted "3 species galium" on May 25th. Martha Crone listed it on her 1951 Garden Census. It is native to Minnesota in the eastern part of the state, primarily in the NE Quadrant.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

122010