cleavers

(Galium aparine)

Conservation Status
cleavers
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Cleavers is an exotic, weedy, weak-stemmed, herbaceous plant. The nativity of cleavers is a matter of some debate. Some sources maintain that it is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and that it has been introduced sporadically into North America. Most sources consider it to be native to North America. The Germplasm Resource Information Network (GRIN) shows it native in North America only in Alabama, naturalized elsewhere. Either way, it now occurs in every state in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, in every bordering Canadian province, in Mexico, and in South America.

Cleavers is a 4 to 40 long, more or less scrambling, annual forb that rises on multiple stems from shallow roots.

The stems are scrambling, slender, weak, 4-angled, hollow, and usually profusely branched. The angles have short, stiff, hooked, downward-pointing hairs.

The leaves are in stalkless and in whorls of usually 8, sometimes 6 or 7. The blades are linear or linear inversely lance-shaped, to 3 long, and less than wide. They have a single prominent vein running from the base to the tip. There is an abrupt, short, sharp, firm point at the tip. The upper surface is rough with firm, stiff, hooked hairs. The lower surface has short, stiff, backward-pointing hairs on the midvein. The margins are untoothed and have short, stiff, backward-pointing hairs.

The inflorescences are clusters of 3 to 5 flowers rising directly from upper leaf axils, and sometimes an elongated stalk that rises from an upper leaf axil and has several clusters.

The flowers are about wide. They consist of 4 white petals with pointed tips, 4 sepals that are shorter than the petals, 4 short stamens, and 2 short, pale yellow styles. There are 2 carpels at the base of the flower. The carpels are joined together, green, and covered with stiff, hooked hairs.

The fruit is a grayish-brown, ball-like carpel, joined in pairs, usually covered with hooked hairs, rarely hairless, containing 1 seed.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

Scrambling, 4 to 40 long

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

White

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

False baby’s breath (Galium mollugo) also has leaves in whorls of 6 to 8. However, the stem, leaves, and carpels are hairless. The inflorescence has many flowers and is larger, highly branched, and showy. The flowers are larger. In Minnesota it has been recorded only in St. Louis County.

Rough bedstraw (Galium asprellum) has many branches. The leaves on the stem are in whorls of 6, those on the branches in whorls of 4 or 5.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist. Woods. Shade.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

June to August

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 22, 28, 29, 30.

 
  3/24/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Very common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Gentianales (gentians, dogbanes, madders, and allies)  
 

Family

Rubiaceae (madder)  
  Subfamily Rubioideae  
  Tribe Rubieae  
 

Genus

Galium (bedstraws)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Galium agreste var. echinospermum

Galium aparine var. echinospermum

Galium aparine var. intermedium

Galium aparine var. minor

Galium aparine var. vaillantii

Galium spurium var. echinospermum

Galium spurium var. vaillantii

Galium spurium var. vaillantii

Galium vaillantii

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

annual bedstraw

bedstraw

catch-weed bedstraw

catchweed bedstraw

cleavers

cleaverwort

goose grass

goose-grass

scarthgrass

sticky-willy

stickywilly

white hedge

 
       
 

The hooked hairs on the leaves and stem grab onto (cleave to) clothing, bird feathers, and animal fur, giving this plant it’s common name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Axil

The upper angle where the leaf stalk meets the stem.

 

Carpel

The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of an ovary, styles, and stigmas.

 

Scrambling

Climbing awkwardly over adjacent vegetation or structures.

 

Sepal

An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.

 
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
    cleavers   cleavers  
           
    cleavers   cleavers  

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Galium aparine ANNUAL BEDSTRAW
Frank Mayfield
 
  Galium aparine ANNUAL BEDSTRAW  

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  Edible plants Cleavers Galium aparine
MiWilderness
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on May 28, 2011

Cleavers have had many uses throughout history. Here are the main features for identification and to distinguish Cleavers from close impostors.

   
  Cleavers (Galium Aparine) / Stickywilly - 2012-06-23
W3stlander
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 25, 2012

Galium aparine is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae. It is native to North America and Eurasia. It has several common names, including Cleavers, Clivers, Goosegrass, Stickywilly, Sticky willow, Stickyjack, Stickyweed, Stickyleaf, Catchweed, Robin-run-the-hedge, Coachweed, and Bedstraw.

---------------------
Kleefkruid (Galium aparine) is een plant uit de sterbladigenfamilie (Rubiaceae).

   

 

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