Northern Three-lobed Bedstraw

Common name: Northern Three-lobed Bedstraw

Scientific name: Galium trifidum

Dimensions:
  Flower: Less than 1/8" (3 mm) wide
  Plant height: Reclining, up to 12-15"(30-37.5 cm)

Blooming period: June-August

Habitat: Swamps, wet shores, moist places

Description: Tiny, white 3-lobed flowers, solitary or occasionally in 2s, on long, arching stalks clustered from axils or at branch ends. Leaves ¼-¾" (5-20 mm) long, linear to narrowly elliptic, 1-nerved, mostly in whorls of 4, rarely 5 or 6, rough on edges and occasion- ally on mid-rib beneath due to short, stiff hairs (scabrous). Plant stems numerous, typically much-branched, slender and weak, often spread- ing onto other plants or forming dense mats. One of about 30 species of bedstraw in the Northeast. Bedstraw family. (July 1)