Galium glabrescens
Castle lake bedstraw
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rubiaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Galium glabrescens (Castle lake bedstraw) is a native California subshrub in the Rubiaceae family, recognized by narrow leafy inflorescences barely exceeding leaves.
Castle lake bedstraw is a California native perennial found in the northern California mountains in rocky or gravelly habitats at elevations of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces yellow to reddish flowers in small clusters on short axillary branchlets. Growing with ascending green stems 5 to 31 centimeters tall, it forms a slightly woody base with a delicate, near-glabrous appearance. Its leaves grow in distinctive whorls of 4, with ovate to obovate shapes that are arranged tightly around the slender stems. The fruit develops as small nutlets with long, straight hairs spreading outward from the surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 28 sympatric species; key features are narrow leafy inflorescences barely exceeding leaves
Habitat and range
California counties: Siskiyou, Trinity, Glenn, Tehama, Del Norte
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 glabrescens native to California?
Yes. Galium glabrescens is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Galium glabrescens grow?
Galium glabrescens occurs in Siskiyou, Trinity, Glenn, Tehama, Del Norte.
What plant family does Galium glabrescens belong to?
Galium glabrescens is in the Rubiaceae family, genus Galium.
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.