Galium spurium

Galium spurium, the stickwilly or false cleavers, is a plant species of the Rubiaceae. It is widespread across Europe, Asia, Africa and Canada, and is naturalized in Australia. It is considered a noxious weed in many places.

Galium spurium is an erect or reclining herb up to 50 cm tall. Stems are square in cross-section. Leaves are in whorls of 6–8, narrowly lanceolate. Flowers are in multi-flowered cymes or panicles, white or yellow-green.

Subspecies

Many varietal and subspecific names have been proposed, but at present (May 2014) only 3 are recognized:

• Galium spurium subsp. africanum <small>Verdc.</small> - mountains of tropical and southern Africa; also Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Socotra
• Galium spurium subsp. ibicinum <small>(Boiss. & Hausskn.) Ehrend.</small> - Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan
• Galium spurium subsp. spurium - widespread

References

External links

• Impact and control in Australia
• line drawing for Flora of Pakistan
• Plants for a Future
• NatureGate, Luonotoportti (Helsinki), false cleavers
• Tela Botanica, Gaillet bâtard
• Floraweb, Galium spurium L., Kleinfrüchtiges Kletten-Labkraut