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White Wildflower Gallery

Madder or Coffee Family

        

Rubiaceae - Madder or Coffee Family
Southwestern Bedstraw Galium virgatum
Flowers are about 1/16" wide and grow tight to the leaf node. Flat, double pod is about 1/8" wide. Leaves grow 4-7 in a whirl. Leaf hairs are hooked to snag. This plant is tiny, the stem with leaves shown is a total of 1/4" wide. Upright to sprawling stems grow to about 6" long.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Shackelford, Callahan, Brown, Coke)

                    

Rubiaceae - Madder or Coffee Family
Stickywilly Galium aparine
Leaves in whirls of 6-8, narrow, pointed. Square stems can reach 6 feet long. Tiny flowers have 4 white petals, grow from leaf nodes. Fruits are grouped, 1-3. Stems, leaves, and fruit are covered in finely hooked hairs.
Edible if boiled before fruiting. Roots produce red dye. Boiled seed make a coffee like drink.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2010
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Brown)

     

Rubiaceae - Madder or Coffee Family
Limestone Bedstraw Galium proliferum
I missed the flower but it should be similar to Galium virgatum. Main stem has 4 narrow leaves, about 1/2" long, in a whirl. Each whirl has thin "Y" shaped branches that have smaller leaf whirls. Flower/pod attach at each of these smaller nodes. Double pods have hooked hairs. Leaves and branches have hooked hairs. Upright to sprawling plant with main stem over 2 feet long.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2005
(Native of Texas - Coleman)