Galium spurium, the stickwilly[1] or false cleavers, is a plant species of the Rubiaceae. It is widespread across Europe, Asia, Africa and Canada, and is naturalized in Australia.[2][3][4] It is considered a noxious weed in many places.[5]

Galium spurium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Galium
Species:
G. spurium
Binomial name
Galium spurium
Synonyms

Galium vaillantii DC.

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.[6]

Subspecies

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Many varietal and subspecific names have been proposed, but at present (May 2014) only 3 are recognized:[2]

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

References

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  1. ^ Lee, Sangtae; Chang, Kae Sun, eds. (2015). English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. p. 475. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Retrieved 12 March 2019 – via Korea Forest Service.
  2. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Archived 2016-01-30 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Galium spurium [Caglio spurio] - Flora Italiana". luirig.altervista.org. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  4. ^ Moss, E. H. 1983. Flora of Alberta (ed. 2) i–xii, 1–687. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.
  5. ^ Wenming Zhang & K. L. Bailey. 2000. Biological Control of Cleavers (Galium spurium and G. aparine) with Pathogenic Fungi - Exploration and Discovery. Proceedings of the X International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds 4-14 July 1999, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana USA Neal R. Spencer (ed.). pp. 117-123
  6. ^ "Galium spurium in Flora of China @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. p. 136. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
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