(Rubiaceae)

Flowers are organized alphabetically by genus and species. Hover over a photo series to control the images.

Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale)

For bedstraw as a whole, look for small flowers with four (occasionally more) pointed petals, and leaves in "whorls" (4+ leaves emerge from the same point on the stem). My ID of this plant as Northern Bedstraw is based on four pointed leaves, each with three longitudinal veins, emerging from the whorls.

Fragrant Bedstraw (Galium triflorum)

Fragrant Bedstraw is one of several local species that have whorls of more than four leaves. To help distinguish this species, look for oval leaflets with little points at the ends. Also, the clusters of flowers often include sub-clusters of three flowers each.