''Galium nuttallii'' is a species of flowering plant in the
coffee family known by the common names San Diego bedstraw and climbing bedstraw. It is native to the coast and coastal
Peninsular and western
Transverse Ranges of southern
California and
Baja California, where it is a member of
chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
and
pine woodland plant communities. It is also found on the
Channel Islands and on the mainland as far north as
Santa Barbara County[Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families](_blank)
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Description
''Galium nuttallii'' is a climbing perennial herb producing a woody base and sprawling with thin, hanging green to red branches up to 1.5 meters long. The stems have whorls
A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs).
Whorls in nature
File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...
of four tiny sharp-pointed leaves at intervals, each leaf under a centimeter long. The plant is dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
, with male and female individuals bearing different flower types. Both flowers are reddish, and the female flower ovary turns into a berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
.[Munz, P. A. 1974. Flora of Southern California 1–1086. University of California Press, Berkeley.]
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as of May 2014:
See also
*California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of southwestern Oregon, northern, central, and southern California (United States) and northwestern Baja California (Mexico), located on the west coast of North America. It is a ...
* California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion
* California montane chaparral and woodlands
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Galium nuttallii''USDA Plants Profile; Galium nuttallii''Galium nuttallii'' — CalPhoto gallery
* ttp://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Rubiaceae/Galium%20nuttallii.htm University of California at Irvine, climbing bedstraw (in Orange Co and Los Angeles Co)br>Wildflowers in Santa Barbara, Galium nuttalliiGardening EuropeCavalera Preserve: native plants
— ''in coastal North San Diego County''.
nuttallii
Flora of California
Flora of Baja California
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the Channel Islands of California
Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges
Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains
Natural history of the Transverse Ranges
Plants described in 1841
Dioecious plants
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
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