[The Bedstraw Family in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Annual Bedstraw, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, Common Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickwilly, Stick-willy, Stickywilly

Galium aparine

Synonyms: Galium agreste var. echinospermum, Galium aparine ssp. spurium, Galium aparine var. aparine, Galium aparine var. echinospermum, Galium aparine var. intermedium, Galium aparine var. minor, Galium aparine var. vaillantii, Galium spurium, Galium spurium, Galium spurium var. echinospermum, Galium spurium var. vaillantii, Galium vaillantii

Whorled leaves and square stem of Annual Bedstraw, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, Common Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickwilly, Stick-willy, Stickywilly Galium aparine (Synonyms: Galium agreste var. echinospermum, Galium aparine ssp. spurium, Galium aparine var. aparine, Galium aparine var. echinospermum, Galium aparine var. intermedium, Galium aparine var. minor, Galium aparine var. vaillantii, Galium spurium, Galium spurium, Galium spurium var. echinospermum, Galium spurium var. vaillantii, Galium vaillantii)

This photo shows clearlly the square stems and whorled leaves of annual bedstraw, as well as the tiny hooked hairs that are at the corneres of the square stems and along the leaf margins. Photographed near Troutdale, Oregon.....2005.
Characteristics:

A somewhat weedy species, annual bedstraw or cleavers is easily recognized due to the velcro-like nature of the hooked hairs found all over the square stems and slender leaves. It is an annual with weak, often lax stems. The stems range from 10-100 cm long. The whorls of leaves usually contain 6-8 thin , 1-nerved leaves from 1-4 cm in length.

The inflorescence is small, usually 3-5 flowered and are found arising from a leaf axil. The head of flowers may themselves be subtended by a whorl of small leaves. The minute corollas are greenish-white, 4-lobed, and 1-2 mm wide. The fruit are 2-4 mm long, consisting of 2 globose structures joined in the middle, and covered with numerous hooked hairs which may hitch rides with animals or humans who walk through.

Habitat:

Cleavers is found in open woods which are often somewhat disturbed.

Range:

A wide-ranging plant, cleavers is found over much of the world. It is now common over much of temperate North America.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found from the west to east ends between 100'-3600'.

Hooked hairs on the fruits of Annual Bedstraw, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, Common Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickwilly, Stick-willy, Stickywilly: Galium aparine (Synonyms: Galium agreste var. echinospermum, Galium aparine ssp. spurium, Galium aparine var. aparine, Galium aparine var. echinospermum, Galium aparine var. intermedium, Galium aparine var. minor, Galium aparine var. vaillantii, Galium spurium, Galium spurium, Galium spurium var. echinospermum, Galium spurium var. vaillantii, Galium vaillantii) - Whorled leaves and square stems of Annual Bedstraw, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, Common Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickwilly, Stick-willy, Stickywilly: Galium aparine (Synonyms: Galium agreste var. echinospermum, Galium aparine ssp. spurium, Galium aparine var. aparine, Galium aparine var. echinospermum, Galium aparine var. intermedium, Galium aparine var. minor, Galium aparine var. vaillantii, Galium spurium, Galium spurium, Galium spurium var. echinospermum, Galium spurium var. vaillantii, Galium vaillantii)

Close-up images of the hooked fruits and square stems and whorled leaves of annual bedstraw observed along the Weldon Wagon Road Trail about one mile uphill to the east of the trailhead, Klickitat County, WA.....April 28, 2024.

Whorled leaves and square stem of Annual Bedstraw, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, Common Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickwilly, Stick-willy, Stickywilly Galium aparine (Synonyms: Galium agreste var. echinospermum, Galium aparine ssp. spurium, Galium aparine var. aparine, Galium aparine var. echinospermum, Galium aparine var. intermedium, Galium aparine var. minor, Galium aparine var. vaillantii, Galium spurium, Galium spurium, Galium spurium var. echinospermum, Galium spurium var. vaillantii, Galium vaillantii) - Annual Bedstraw, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, Common Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickwilly, Stick-willy, Stickywilly: Galium aparine (Synonyms: Galium agreste var. echinospermum, Galium aparine ssp. spurium, Galium aparine var. aparine, Galium aparine var. echinospermum, Galium aparine var. intermedium, Galium aparine var. minor, Galium aparine var. vaillantii, Galium spurium, Galium spurium, Galium spurium var. echinospermum, Galium spurium var. vaillantii, Galium vaillantii) - Annual Bedstraw, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, Common Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickwilly, Stick-willy, Stickywilly: Galium aparine (Synonyms: Galium agreste var. echinospermum, Galium aparine ssp. spurium, Galium aparine var. aparine, Galium aparine var. echinospermum, Galium aparine var. intermedium, Galium aparine var. minor, Galium aparine var. vaillantii, Galium spurium, Galium spurium, Galium spurium var. echinospermum, Galium spurium var. vaillantii, Galium vaillantii)

The photo at left shows bedstraw near Troutdale, Oregon.....2005. The photo at center shows bedstraw at the Indian Pits, below Rowland Rim but above Rowland Lake, Columbia River Gorge.....Februry 9, 2021. The photo at right shows bedstraw under oaks between Memaloose and Rowena, Columbia River Gorge......March 20, 2024.

Paul Slichter