GALIUM APARINE

Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE/Sect. KOLGYDA

Common Names:- Common cleavers, Goose grass.

Homotypic Synonyms:- Rubia aparine, Valantia aparine.

Meaning:- Galium (Gr) Milk.

Aparine (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus for

goosegrass.

General description:- Moderately branched, scrambling, herbaceous annual.

Stems:-

1) 20-80 cm long and 2-4 mm wide, retrorsely aculeolate on the angles, often stout

and hairy at the nodes.

Leaves:-

1) In whorls of 6-8, usually 20-30 x 2-6 mm, narrowly oblanceolate, retrorsely

aculeolate on the margins, tapering to a hyaline arista. upper surface glabrous

but provided with hooked prickles.

2) Stipules, similar to the leaves.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, diffuse, consisting of 2-7-flowered axillary cymes, usually

exceeding the subtending leaves.

2) Peduncles, long, straight, occurring at the axil of the leaves, with 4 partly fused

petals.

3) Corolla, 1.5-2 mm in diam., whitish.

4) Stamens, 4.

a) styles, 2.

Fruit:-

1) Mericarps, 3-5 mm, densely hispid with hooked setae arising from a tubercle-

like base.

Key features:-

1) Corolla, 1.5-2 mm in diam., whitish.

2) Mericarps, (excl. setae) 3-5 mm, always with hooked setae

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Coastal habitats, gorges, olive groves, roadsides, wasteground. 0-1100 m.

occasionally to 1600 m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Apr-June, and sporadically at other times.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton