Sep. 25, 2020

shining bedstraw, Galium concinnum

Galium is a genus of small-flowered plants that do not lend themselves to artful images. But they are fun puzzles, mostly playing by the rules in their identification keys. This is shining bedstraw because: the ovaries right behind the petals are smooth, the leaves are sharp pointed, the stems are smooth, and the edges of the leaves have tiny spurs that do not point backward. If any of those features were different, we would have another species here. Shining bedstraw grows in woods or occasionally in moist openings in AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NY(E), OH, OK, PA, TN, UT, VA, WI, WV, and ON. Lenawee Co MI, 6/5/11. Madder family, Rubiaceae.