Galium aparine Linnaeus. Cleavers, Sticky-willy. Phen: Apr-Jul. Hab: Meadows, thickets, disturbed areas, forests. Dist: Nearly cosmopolitan, from n. North America south through Central and South America.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: The "Galium aparine complex" is represented in North America (including our area) by both native and introduced genotypes. We here provisionally recognize Galium spurium as a separate taxon from Galium aparine (see Moore 1975), but the material in our region needs additional study.

Other Comments: Schübler

Synonymy: = Stace (2010); = Galium aparine L. ssp. spurium (L.) Simonk.; = Galium aparine L. var. aparine – Il; < Galium aparine L. – Ar, F, Fl5, G, GW2, K1, K3, K4, Mi, NcTx, NY, Pa, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, WV, Dempster (1981); > Galium aparine L. ssp. infestum (Waldst. & Kit.) Schübl. & Martens – GBI4; > Galium aparine L. var. aparine – C, GrPl; > Galium aparine L. var. echinospermum (Wallr.) Farw. – GrPl; > Galium spurium L. ssp. spurium – GBI4

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
• Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily: 5