Characteristics:
Small bedstraw is a small, often over-looked wildflower with numerous, slender
and weak stems arising from slender, creeping rhizomes. The stems scramble
over vegetation, are smooth to somewhat rough in texture, and range from 5-60
cm in length. The leaves are entirely on the stems and are found in whorls
of 4's, 5's or 6's. Individual leaves are linear in shape with one central
vein. They range from 10-25 mm long.
The infloresences are terminal or found in the leaf axils and are 1-3 flowered.
The corolla is very small (ranging from 1-1.5 mm wide), typically with 3 petals
(See photo at right.) although some flowers may occasionally have 4 petals.
The fruits consist of 2 globular segments which are smooth (not covered with
hairs).
Habitat:
Small bedstraw is found in moist places from sea level to high elevations
in the mountains.
Range:
A wide-ranging plant, small bedstraw is found over much of the northern
hemisphere. It may be found in North American from the Arctic south to California,
northern New Mexico, Texas, Alabama and Georgia.
Small bedstraw as seen along the southern shoreline at High Lake, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........July 17, 2013.
What appears to be small bedstraw blooming along a small spring-fed stream crossing the Lake Creek Trail #378, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........August 9, 2015.
The photo at right shows a whorl of leaves consisting of 6 leaves on a sample of small bedstraw from Road K1000 to the east of the Mt. Adams Highway........July 9, 2006. The whorls can contain 4-6 leaves.