Galium bifolium
Low mountain bedstraw
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Rubiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Galium bifolium (Low mountain bedstraw) is a native California herb in the Rubiaceae family, recognized by distinctive leaf arrangement in unequal pairs/opposite and 3-petaled white flowers.
Low mountain bedstraw is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, Modoc Plateau, northern Sierra Nevada, and Desert Mountains in open conifer forest, gravelly slopes, and meadows at elevations of 1,500 to 3,700 meters. Flowering from June to September, this delicate plant produces small white flowers with 3 ovate lobes on thin, nodding pedicels. Growing erect with few branches, the plant reaches 5 to 15 centimeters tall with a slender, glabrous structure. Its leaves are arranged in whorls of 4 or in 2 unequal pairs, with lanceolate to narrowly elliptic blades 10 to 21 millimeters long. The plant produces small nutlets with short, hooked hairs, characteristic of the bedstraw genus.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 64 sympatric species; distinctive leaf arrangement in unequal pairs/opposite and 3-petaled white flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open conifer forest, gravelly slopes, meadows
Elevation: 1500-3700 m
California counties: Fresno, Tulare, Mono, Mariposa, Siskiyou, San Bernardino, Kern, Tehama, Madera, Los Angeles, Calaveras, Nevada, Ventura, Amador, Placer, Inyo, Butte, El Dorado, Lassen, Plumas, Trinity, Tuolumne, Lake, Modoc, Glenn, Sierra, Shasta, Humboldt, Colusa, Alpine, Mendocino
Outside California: to British Columbia, Montana, Colorado
Bloom period
Galium bifolium blooms Jun-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Eriogonum: Galium has whorled leaves and tiny flowers; Eriogonum has alternate/basal leaves and dense flower clusters with papery bracts.; vs Sherardia: Galium flowers have stalks and no sepals; Sherardia flowers lack stalks and have six prominent sepals.; vs Baccharis: Galium has whorled leaves and tiny four-petaled flowers; Baccharis has alternate leaves and composite flower heads.; vs Lupinus: Galium has whorled narrow leaves and tiny rotate flowers; Lupinus has palmate compound leaves and pea-like flowers.; vs Euphorbia: Galium has whorled leaves and four-petaled flowers; Euphorbia has alternate leaves and milky sap with specialized flower cups.
Frequently asked questions
Is Galium bifolium native to California?
Yes. Galium bifolium is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Galium bifolium bloom?
Galium bifolium blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Galium bifolium grow?
Galium bifolium occurs in Fresno, Tulare, Mono, Mariposa, Siskiyou, San Bernardino, Kern, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3700 m.
What plant family does Galium bifolium belong to?
Galium bifolium is in the Rubiaceae family, genus Galium.
What habitat does Galium bifolium grow in?
Galium bifolium grows in Open conifer forest, gravelly slopes, meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.