Galium hardhamiae

Hardham's bedstraw

Family: Rubiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Hardham's bedstraw is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the Santa Lucia Range on serpentine soil with Sargent cypress at elevations of 400 to 950 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces yellow to green or pinkish flowers in small axillary and terminal clusters. Growing as a low, matted perennial with stems less than 30 centimeters tall, it forms dense patches with stiff hairs covering its stems. Its leaves grow in whorls of 6, each 1 to 5 millimeters long, bright green and fleshy with margins strongly rolled under, creating a distinctive compact appearance. The plant is dioecious, with separate male and female plants bearing small, delicate flowers.

Habitat: Serpentine soil with Sargent cypress

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 400-950 m

Bioregions: SCoRO (Santa Lucia Range).

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