Galium porrigens var. tenue
Graceful bedstraw
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rubiaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Galium porrigens var. tenue (Graceful bedstraw) is a native California shrub in the Rubiaceae family, recognized by other climbing bedstraws by narrower linear leaves and pale yellow to red-green flowers.
Graceful bedstraw is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, south-central Coast Ranges, and southern California in chaparral and oak/pine woodland at elevations of 150 to 1,050 meters. Flowering from February to July, this plant produces pale yellow to red-green flowers in delicate, small clusters. Growing with slender, sprawling stems up to 50 centimeters long, it has a distinctive spreading growth habit. Its leaves are narrow and linear, 3 to 8 millimeters long with acute to obtuse tips, arranged in whorled patterns along the stems. The fruit is small and typical of the bedstraw family, blending seamlessly with the plant's delicate structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 38 sympatric species; distinguished from other climbing bedstraws by narrower linear leaves and pale yellow to red-green flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral, oak/pine woodland
Elevation: 150-1050 m
California counties: Butte, Yolo, Placer, Calaveras, El Dorado, Colusa, Riverside, Napa, Sacramento, Shasta, Sonoma, Lake, Sutter, Tehama, Glenn, Mariposa, San Diego, San Benito, Stanislaus, Monterey, Tulare, Kern, Madera, Fresno, Tuolumne, Amador, Santa Clara, Trinity, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Nevada, Ventura, Solano
Outside California: southern Oregon
Bloom period
Galium porrigens var. tenue blooms Feb-Jul.
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 porrigens var. tenue native to California?
Yes. Galium porrigens var. tenue is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Galium porrigens var. tenue bloom?
Galium porrigens var. tenue blooms Feb-Jul.
Where in California does Galium porrigens var. tenue grow?
Galium porrigens var. tenue occurs in Butte, Yolo, Placer, Calaveras, El Dorado, Colusa, Riverside, Napa and other counties, at elevations of 150-1050 m.
What plant family does Galium porrigens var. tenue belong to?
Galium porrigens var. tenue is in the Rubiaceae family, genus Galium.
What habitat does Galium porrigens var. tenue grow in?
Galium porrigens var. tenue grows in Chaparral, oak/pine woodland.
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.