catchweed bedstraw

Galium aparine

Member of bedstraws (genus Galium)
madder family (family Rubiaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
white in flowering plants

habit: annual, climbing or prostrate, occasionally short, erect; clings by small, hooked prickles

[there’s a local form that is less catchy]

stem: 30–90 cm, weak, brittle
leaf: in whorls of 6–8, 13–31 mm, proximal-most petioled, ± round, distal sessile, ± narrowly oblanceolate
inflorescence: flowers few on branchlets in most axils
flower: bisexual; corolla rotate, ± white
note: small plants with slender, pointed leaves, ± yellow petals assignable to Galium spurium [not recognized by Jepson, but recognized by POWO]
very common

Chris’s observations: 61 (27 are research grade)

Locations:

Henry Coe SP: 9
Calero CP: 6
Russian Ridge OSP: 6
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve: 4
Santa Teresa CP: 4
Almaden Quicksilver CP: 3
Coyote Lake / Harvey Bear Ranch CP: 3
Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP: 3
Sierra Azul OSP: 3
Stevens Creek CP: 3
Alum Rock Park, San Jose: 2
Nisene Marks SP: 2
Rancho Cañada del Oro OSP: 2
Castle Rock SP
Coyote Creek Trail
Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills
Long Ridge OSP
Monte Bello OSP
Mt. Madonna SP
Murray Ranch SP
Sanborn CP
Skyline Ridge OSP
Waterdog Lake & Open Space
Wilder Ranch SP

Months:

Feb.: 2
Mar.: 10
Apr.: 22
May: 21
Jun.: 4
Jul.: 2

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Not all sites include this taxon:

Galium aparine → iNaturalist – Calflora – CalPhotos – Jepson eFlora
not yet listed → FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora