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Lady's bedstraw. Share facebook twitter email whatsapp. Lady's bedstraw Scientific name: Galium verum. In summer, the 'frothy' flowers of lady's bedstraw can carpet the grasses of meadows, heaths and coasts with yellow and fill the air with a sweet, honey-like scent.
Species information Category Wildflowers. Statistics Height: up to 30cm. Conservation status Common. When to see June to September. About The frothy, yellow flowers of lady's bedstraw scent the air of our grasslands, chalk downlands, meadows, heaths and sand dunes with honey. The stems can be so dense with flowers that they carpet the grass with yellow from June to September. Dried, this flower has the scent of new-mown hay, and its name is probably derived from the tradition of stuffing straw mattresses with it, particularly those of women about to give birth.
Seeds germinate very early in the spring, to produce a gangly plant with long stems. Left on their own, they remain low and sprawling, forming dense tangles only a foot or so in height, shading out any smaller plants they grow over.
In some areas, this species grows as a winter annual, germinating in the fall, and overwinter as a small plant, to grow quickly in spring. The tiny white or pale green flowers are born terminally or in leaf axils.
In early spring to summer, tiny, inconspicuous pale green or white flowers are borne in the leaf axils or terminally.
Each inflorescence a cyme has 3 to 5 flowers. Each flower is only mm across, with four petals. Once pollinated by flies or beetles, spherical fruits of two nearly round halves are produced. Each fruit half contains a single small, spherical, oval or kidney shaped seed. The gray to brown seeds are mm in diameter and are covered with small tubercles.
The hooked bristles create a burr, which is easily dispersed on animal fur or clothing. Individual plants produce seeds, although some specimens will produce many more. Hooked bristles on the seed capsule create a burr, which easily sticks to animal fur. Seeds remain viable in the soil for only a couple of years.
They survive passage through the digestive tracts of cattle, horses, pigs, goats, and birds, so bringing uncomposted manure into a garden may inadvertently introduce this weed. Catchweed bedstraw is best controlled while still small. This weed is not difficult to control if pulled or hoed out while small, before flowering and seed production commences.
However, it is weakly connected to the stem so that when weeding, the roots often remain behind and can grow again when the tops are pulled. The brittle stems break easily, so it is difficult to remove an entire plant intact. Nearby fragile plants may be damaged as it is pulled if its leaves or stems stick to the tender plants.
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