Galium murale
Tiny bedstraw
(c) Daniel Cahen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Daniel Cahen · licence
Family: Rubiaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Galium murale (Tiny bedstraw) is a non-native California herb in the Rubiaceae family, recognized by tiny size and sausage-shaped fruits.
Tiny bedstraw is a naturalized annual herb found in northern and central Sierra Nevada foothills, Great Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California coastal areas, and Peninsular Ranges in Riverside and San Diego counties, occurring in damp, mossy places and dry disturbed areas at elevations of 20 to 650 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces tiny green to white flowers less than 1 millimeter long, with delicate ascending ovate lobes. Growing with erect to spreading stems 1 to 12 centimeters tall, it forms a slender, glabrous plant with minimal branching. Its leaves grow in whorls of 4 to 6, measuring 1 to 4 millimeters long, with obovate to oblanceolate shapes and acute tips often bearing a slender hair. The fruit develops as small sausage-shaped nutlets with uneven, hooked hairs, with long-hairy tips that aid in seed dispersal.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 30 sympatric species; tiny size and sausage-shaped fruits are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Damp, mossy places, grassy hillsides, dry disturbed areas
Elevation: 20-650 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Butte, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, San Mateo, Stanislaus, Alameda, Riverside, San Diego, Los Angeles, El Dorado, Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, Solano, Tulare, Colusa, Placer, Glenn, Tehama, Yuba, Nevada, Santa Barbara, Mendocino, Yolo, Fresno, Lake, Monterey
Outside California: native to Europe
Bloom period
Galium murale blooms Apr-May.
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 murale native to California?
No. Galium murale is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Galium murale bloom?
Galium murale blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Galium murale grow?
Galium murale occurs in San Luis Obispo, Butte, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, San Mateo, Stanislaus, Alameda, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of 20-650 m.
What plant family does Galium murale belong to?
Galium murale is in the Rubiaceae family, genus Galium.
What habitat does Galium murale grow in?
Galium murale grows in Damp, mossy places, grassy hillsides, dry disturbed areas.
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.