Galium andrewsii subsp. gatense

Phlox-leaf serpentine bedstraw, Phlox-Leaf Serpentine Bedstraw

Family: Rubiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Phlox-leaf serpentine bedstraw is a rare (CNPS 4.2) California native perennial found in the San Francisco Bay and south-central coastal ranges in dry, rocky serpentine areas of chaparral and open oak or pine woodland at elevations of 220 to 1,450 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate, spreading clusters. Growing with open stems less than 22 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive low-spreading habit with thin, occasional hairy stems. Its leaves are linear to lanceolate, generally shorter than the stem internodes, flat and spreading across the plant's surface. The plant's unique adaptation to serpentine soil makes it a specialized and interesting component of California's native plant communities.

Habitat: Dry, rocky places in serpentine soil, chaparral or open oak/pine woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 220-1450 m

Bioregions: SnFrB, SCoRI.

California counties: San Benito, Monterey, Contra Costa, Fresno, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Santa Cruz

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.