2024 Edition • Donate • Get the App • Cite this Page
X

Colors

Data mode

Account

Login
Sign up

Support FSUS...

We've finished our 2024 fundraiser. Many thanks to those who have given! It's not too late to support us (click here)...

Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key to Galium, Key B: Bedstraws with leaves mostly 6 per node (ranging from 4-8)

Copy permalink to share | Check for keys that lead to this key

1 Flowers pink, purple, or blue, in terminal heads, subtended by an involucre of leaves fused at the base; stem rough-hairy or retrorse-scabrid; [exotic].
  2 Leaves obtuse at tip; leaves 6-8 per whorl; stem retrorse-scabrid; [clade VI]
  2 Leaves acute to acuminate at tip; leaves (4-) 6 per whorl; stem rough-hairy; [clade IV]
1 Flowers white, yellow, or green, in axillary or terminal diffuse inflorescences, not subtended by an involucre; stems either smooth, retrorse-scabrid, or pubescent.
    3 Largest leaves < 10 mm long; fruits 0.7-1 mm across; annual; [exotic]; [clade III].
      4 Inflorescence relatively diffuse, branches divaricate; ultimate fruits (2-) 3-6 (-7) nodes beyond primary stem axis (with largest leaves); first inflorescence internode (beyond primary stem axis) 15-50 mm long; fruit surface glabrous (without hairs)
      4 Inflorescence relatively strict, branches ascending; ultimate fruits 2-3 (-4) nodes beyond primary stem axis (with largest leaves); first inflorescence internode (beyond primary stem axis) 3-12 (-20) mm long; fruit surface glabrous or bristly-hispid.
        5 Fruit surface without hairs, smooth to shallowly papillate
        5 Fruit surface bristly-hispid with uncinate-tipped hairs, distinctly papillate
    3 Largest leaves > 10 mm long; fruits 1-2.5 mm across; perennial; [native].
          6 Fruits and ovaries uncinate-hispid; leaves 15-50 mm long, 7-10 mm wide; [clade III]
          6 Fruits and ovaries glabrous or papillose; leaves 5-25 mm long, 1-6 mm wide.
             7 Corolla 1.5-2.5 mm across, 3-lobed; [collectively widespread in our area]; [clade V].
               8 Fruiting pedicels (4-) 5-8 (-12) mm long; pairs of fruits (3-) 3.5-5 mm across at maturity; leaves 2-3 (-4) mm wide
               8 Fruiting pedicels (2-) 2.5-5 (-6) mm long; pairs of fruits (2-) 2.5-3 mm across at maturity; leaves (1.5-) 2-2.5 (-2.8) mm wide
             7 Corolla 2.5-4.5 mm across, 4-lobed; [mostly of the Mountains in our area, extending into the Piedmont or even the Coastal Plain in n. VA and northward]; [clade undetermined].
                 9 Leaf margins retrorsely ciliate-scabrid; leaves 3-5× as long as wide; [plants of bogs and moist thickets]
                 9 Leaf margins antrorsely ciliate-scabrid; leaves 4-8× as long as wide; [plants of dry forests and woodlands].
                   10 Leaves sharply acute or cuspidate; corolla 2.5-3 mm across
                   10 Leaves rounded, obtuse, or barely acute; corolla ca. 4 mm across