Galium munzii

Munz's bedstraw

Family: Rubiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Munz's bedstraw is a California native perennial herb found in the desert mountains on northern or eastern-facing slopes and shady canyon bottoms at elevations of 1,100 to 2,250 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces pale white to pink flowers in small clusters, forming delicate rotate blossoms that are hairy on the exterior. Growing with erect, coarse-hairy stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall and a woody base, it forms an open, narrow panicle with axillary clusters. Its distinctive leaves grow in whorls of 4, arranged in two unequal pairs, with larger leaves 6 to 19 millimeters long, generally ovate to lanceolate and slightly three-veined with tapered, sharp-tipped edges. The fruit consists of small nutlets 3 to 6 millimeters long, adorned with long, straight hairs.

Habitat: N- or e-facing slopes, shady canyon bottoms

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1100-2250 m

Bioregions: DMtns

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