{{short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox |name = Heath bedstraw |image = Galium harcynicum detail.jpeg |image_caption = |genus = Galium |species = saxatile |authority = L. |synonyms = ''Galium hercynicum'' Weigel }}
'''''Galium saxatile''''' or '''heath bedstraw'''<ref name=BSBI07>{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }}</ref> is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is related to cleavers.
''Galium saxatile'' is a perennial mat-forming herb, found on grassland, moors, heaths and woods. It can reach a height of {{convert|20|cm}}, and flowers in the UK from May to August. The stems are hairless and four sided. Its leaves are {{convert|8|-|25|mm}} long, with 6–8 per whorl, and are lanceolate or obovate in shape. The mountain ringlet butterfly uses the plant for nectar.<ref name="nathistmus">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhm.ac.uk/fff-pcp/glob.pl?report=Flora&Flora.%5bFloraNo%5d=279800 |title=Heath Bedstraw ''Galium saxatile'' |work=Postcode plants database|publisher=Natural History Museum |location=London |accessdate=19 August 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Galium%20saxatile.png Biota of North America Project]</ref>
''Galium saxatile'' avoids calcareous substrate and mainly grows on light siliceous soils<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tansley |first=A. G. |date=1917 |title=On Competition Between Galium Saxatile L. (G. Hercynicum Weig.) and Galium Sylvestre Poll. (G. Asperum Schreb.) On Different Types of Soil |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2255655 |journal=Journal of Ecology |volume=5 |issue=3/4 |pages=173–179 |doi=10.2307/2255655 |jstor=2255655 |bibcode=1917JEcol...5..173T |issn=0022-0477|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mirek |first1=Zbigniew |last2=Piękoś-Mirkowa |first2=Halina |date=1984 |title=Distribution and habitats of Galium saxatile L. in the Carpathian Mountains |url=https://pbsociety.org.pl/journals/index.php/asbp/article/view/asbp.1984.037 |journal=Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae |language=en-US |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=419–427 |doi=10.5586/asbp.1984.037 |issn=2083-9480|doi-access=free }}</ref> and is widespread across much of northern and central Europe from Portugal and Ireland to Scandinavia, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. It is also reportedly sparingly naturalized in Quebec, California and the Falkland Islands.<ref>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=87432 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref><ref>[http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=galium+saxatile Altervista Flora Italiana]</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Galium saxatile eF.jpg Image:galium_harcynicum.jpeg Image:galium_harcynicum_detail.jpeg </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}} *''The Wild Flower Key British Isles – NW Europe'' by Francis Rose *''Wild Flowers of Britain'' by Roger Phillips
==External links== {{Commons category|Galium saxatile}} *[http://www.plant-identification.co.uk/skye/rubiaceae/galium-saxatile.htm Skye Flora] *[http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/heath-bedstraw Luontoportti, Nature Gate, Heath Bedstraw] *[http://www.tela-botanica.org/bdtfx-nn-29234-synthese Tela Botanica] *[http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/rubia/galiu/galisax.html Den Virtuella floran, Stenmåra, ''Galium saxatile'' L.] *[http://crdp.ac-besancon.fr/flore/Rubiaceae/especes/galium_saxatile.htm Besançon, Gaillet des rochers, ''Galium saxatile''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508025305/http://crdp.ac-besancon.fr/flore/Rubiaceae/especes/galium_saxatile.htm |date=2014-05-08 }} *[http://wilde-planten.nl/liggend%20walstro.htm Wilde planten in Nederland en België, Liggend walstro, Plat slyt, Gaillet des rochers, Harzer Labkraut, Heath Bedstraw] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508024913/http://wilde-planten.nl/liggend%20walstro.htm |date=2014-05-08 }}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q162517}}
saxatile Category:Flora of Belgium Category:Flora of Quebec Category:Flora of California Category:Flora of the Falkland Islands Category:Flora of Portugal Category:Flora of the Azores Category:Flora of the United Kingdom Category:Flora of France Category:Flora of Germany Category:Flora of Poland Category:Flora of Ukraine Category:Flora of Russia Category:Flora of Switzerland Category:Flora of Norway Category:Flora of Sweden Category:Flora of the Faroe Islands Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status
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