Kingdom Plantae Family Rubiaceae Scientific name Galium nuttallii Rank Species | Order Gentianales Genus Galium Higher classification Galium | |
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Similar Galium, Rubiaceae, Galium buxifolium, Galium andrewsii, Galium catalinense | ||
Galium nuttallii is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common names San Diego bedstraw and climbing bedstraw. It is native to the coast and coastal Peninsular and western Transverse Ranges of southern California and Baja California, where it is a member of chaparral and pine woodland plant communities. It is also found on the Channel Islands and on the mainland as far north as Santa Barbara County
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Description
Galium nuttallii is a climbing perennial herb producing a woody base and sprawling with thin, hanging green to red branches up to 1.5 meters long. The stems have whorls of four tiny sharp-pointed leaves at intervals, each leaf under a centimeter long. The plant is dioecious, with male and female individuals bearing different flower types. Both flowers are reddish, and the female flower ovary turns into a berry.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as of May 2014: