Galium catalinense
Santa Catalina Island bedstraw
(c) Cayman Lanzone, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rubiaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Galium catalinense (Santa Catalina Island bedstraw) is a native California subshrub in the Rubiaceae family, recognized by shrub habit, large size, thick rigid stems, and large stalked leaves.
Santa Catalina Island bedstraw is a California native shrub found on Santa Catalina Island, growing in coastal habitats. Flowering from spring to summer, this plant produces small, nearly white flowers in dense, leafy axillary clusters. Growing to less than 1.2 meters tall with stout, rigid stems that have distinctively enlarged nodes, it forms an erect and structured shrub. Its leaves grow in tight whorls of 4, measuring 13 to 25 millimeters long, with lanceolate to oblanceolate shapes and generally obtuse to rounded tips. The plant's fruit is notable for having long, straight, spreading hairs that give it a distinctive appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species; key features are shrub habit, large size, thick rigid stems, and large stalked leaves
Habitat and range
California counties: Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange
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 catalinense native to California?
Yes. Galium catalinense is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Galium catalinense grow?
Galium catalinense occurs in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange.
What plant family does Galium catalinense belong to?
Galium catalinense is in the Rubiaceae family, genus Galium.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Galium catalinense subsp. acrispum — San clemente island bedstraw
- Galium catalinense subsp. catalinense — Santa catalina island bedstraw
- Galium clementis — Santa lucia bedstraw
- Galium cliftonsmithii — Santa barbara bedstraw
- Galium divaricatum — Lamarck's bedstraw
- Galium glabrescens — Castle lake bedstraw
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.