{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{Speciesbox | image = (MHNT) Galium verum inflorescence.jpg | genus = Galium | species = verum | authority = L. }} thumb|right|250px|{{center|Yellow bedstraw (Sânziana galbenă) from the spontaneous flora of the Transylvanian Plateau}}

'''''Galium verum''''' ('''lady's bedstraw'''<ref name="BSBI List-2007">{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }}</ref> or '''yellow bedstraw''') is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is widespread across most of Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia from Israel, Lebanon and Turkey to Japan and Kamchatka. It is naturalized in Tasmania, New Zealand, Canada, and the northern half of the United States.

''Galium verum'' is an upright plant, with stiff stems growing to {{convert|15|-|120|cm}} tall. The leaves are {{convert|1|-|3|cm|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|2|mm}} broad,{{citation needed|reason=where did these data come from?|date=March 2025}} shiny dark green, hairy underneath, borne in whorls of 8–12. The flowers are {{convert|2|-|3|mm|abbr=on}} in diameter, yellow, and produced in dense clusters. This species is sometimes confused with ''Galium odoratum'',{{doubtful|reason=significant differences between these two species make confusion unlikely|date=March 2025}} a species with traditional culinary uses.<ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200022090 Flora of China, v 19 p 139, 蓬子菜 peng zi cai, ''Galium verum'' ]</ref>

==Uses== In medieval Europe, the dried plants were used to stuff mattresses,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Niering |first1=William A. |author-link1=William Niering| last2=Olmstead |first2=Nancy C. |title=The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region |year=1985 |orig-year=1979|publisher=Knopf |isbn=0-394-50432-1 |page=764}}</ref> as the coumarin scent of the plants acts as a flea repellant. The flowers were also used to coagulate milk in cheese manufacture (which gives the plant its name, from the Greek word γάλα, ''gala'' 'milk') and, in Gloucestershire, to colour the cheese double Gloucester.<ref>{{cite book| last=Howard | first=Michael A. | year=1987 | title=Traditional Folk Remedies: A Comprehensive Herbal | isbn=0-7126-1731-0 | publisher=Random House of Canada | pages=163–}}</ref> The plant is also used to make red madder-like and yellow dyes. In Denmark, the plant (known locally as ''{{lang|da|gul snerre}}'') is traditionally used to infuse spirits, making the uniquely Danish drink ''{{ill|bjæsk|da}}''.

==Mythology== Frigg was the goddess of married women, in Norse mythology. She helped women give birth to children, and as Scandinavians used the plant lady's bedstraw (''Galium verum'') as a sedative, they called it ''Frigg's grass''.<ref>{{cite book| last=Schön | first=Ebbe | year=2004 | title=Asa-Tors Hammare: Gudar och Jättar i Tro och Tradition | publisher=Fält & Hässler | location=Värnamo | isbn=91-89660-41-2 | pages=228–}}</ref>

In Romanian folklore, it is called ''sânziana'' and it is linked to the Sânziene fairies and their festival on June 24.{{Citation needed|reason=This claim needs a reliable source.|date=September 2018}}

In Gaelic mythology, the hero Cú Chulainn, who suffered fits of rage during battle, would take a tea of this plant to calm his frenzy.{{Citation needed|reason=This claim needs a reliable source.|date=September 2018}} The plant is known as ''lus chneas Chù-Chulainn'' 'the herb of Cú Chulainn's skin' in Scottish Gaelic,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cairnwater.co.uk/faclair/ViewEntry.aspx?ID=0B49BF5FAC3E847BD8AAB218426D1807|title=lus chneas Chù-Chulainn|website=Am Faclair Beag|access-date=September 11, 2018|archive-date=September 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911225216/http://www.cairnwater.co.uk/faclair/ViewEntry.aspx?ID=0B49BF5FAC3E847BD8AAB218426D1807|url-status=dead}}</ref> and in the 14th/15th centuries it occurred with the Irish name ''Bolad cneise con Culainn'' ‘the smell of Cú Chulainn’s skin’ (NLI G 11 182b2).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanhamel.nl/codecs/Dublin,_National_Library_of_Ireland,_MS_G_11|title=Dublin, National Library of Ireland, MS G 11}}</ref>

In Serbian folklore ''Ivanjski venci'' (''Midsummer wreaths'') are made out of Galium verum the day ahead of Nativity of John the Baptist celebration.<ref name="Slavko-2023">{{cite web |author=Slavko Bubalo |url=https://srbi.hr/tradiciju-pletenja-ivanjdanskih-venaca-prenose-na-mlade/ |title=Tradiciju pletenja ivanjdanskih venaca prenose na mlade |date=7 July 2023 |publisher=Srbi.hr, Joint Council of Municipalities |access-date=13 July 2023 }}</ref><ref name="Senka-2007">{{cite web |author=Senka Lučić |url=https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/2678/Specijalni-dodaci/Ivanjski-venci-moravci-i-maske-kod-vrapca |title=Ivanjski venci, "moravci" i maske "kod vrapca" |date=4 July 2007 |publisher=Politika |access-date=13 July 2023 }}</ref> Galium verum, decorated with other flowers, symbolize the beauty of nature and are placed at the public roadside front gates because they are believed to protect Christian homes.<ref name="Slavko-2023"/>

<gallery> Ivanjski vijenac-ивањски венац (Midsummer wreaths) Banovci 01.jpg|Ivanjski venac in Banovci Ivanjski vijenac-ивањски венац (Midsummer wreaths) Pačetin 06.jpg|Ivanjski venac in Pačetin Ivanjski vijenac-ивањски венац (Midsummer wreaths) Ostrovo 03.jpg|Ivanjski venac in Ostrovo Ivanjski vijenac-ивањски венац (Midsummer wreaths) Sremske Laze 04.jpg|Ivanjski venac in Srijemske Laze Ivanjski vijencac - ивањски венац (Midsummer wreaths) Trpinja 02.jpg|Ivanjski venac in Trpinja Ivanjski vijencac - ивањски венац (Midsummer wreaths) Borovo 01.jpg|Ivanjski venac in Borovo </gallery>

==Subspecies== Many varietal and subspecific names have been proposed, but only four are currently (May 2014) recognized:<ref name="KewChecklist">[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=87863 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref>

*''Galium verum'' subsp. ''asiaticum'' <small>(Nakai) T.Yamaz</small> - China, Korea, Japan, Russian Far East (Primorye) *''Galium verum'' subsp. ''glabrescens'' <small>Ehrend.</small> - Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria *''Galium verum'' subsp. ''verum'' - most of species range *''Galium verum'' subsp. ''wirtgenii'' <small>(F.W.Schultz) Oborny</small> - Central and eastern Europe plus Western Siberia

==Gallery== <gallery class="center"> File:Ladys bedstraw 1.JPG|Seedling </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline}} *[http://www.tropicos.org/ImageFullView.aspx?imageid=100165726 Line drawing from Flora of Pakistan] *[http://www.tropicos.org/ImageFullView.aspx?imageid=100133849 Photo of herbarium specimen at University of Missouri, collected in Missouri, ''Galium verum'' ] *[http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Galium+verum Plants for a Future] *[http://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile?symbol=GAVE US Department of Agriculture plants profile] *[http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/bedlad25.html Botanical.com, a modern herbal by M. Grieve] *[http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/ladys-bedstraw NaturGate, Luontoportti, Helsinki, Lady's Bedstraw, ''Galium verum''] *[http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/57 Emorsgate seeds, wild seeds of the UK, Galium verum – Lady's Bedstraw] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529091337/http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/57 |date=2015-05-29 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20140426173550/http://www.herbalencounter.com/2011/04/21/ladys-bedstraw-galium-verum-natural-remedy-for-thyroid-problems-skin-cancer-ulcers-kidney-stones/ Herbal Encounter, Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium Verum) ] *[http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/yellow-bedstraw Minnesota Wildflowers] *[http://wilde-planten.nl/geel%20walstro.htm Wilde Planten in Nederland en Belgie, Geel walstro, Giel slyt, Lady's Bedstraw (Yellow Spring Bedstraw, Cheese Rennet, Fleaweed, Gallion, Ladys Bedstraw, Maidens Hair, Petty Mugget, Wirtgen's Bedstraw, Wirtgens Bedstraw), Gaillet jaune, Echtes Labkraut, Galium verum ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713164404/http://wilde-planten.nl/geel%20walstro.htm |date=2016-07-13 }} *[http://www.erbe.altervista.org/galium_verum.html Altervista, Galium verum L. - Erba zolfina, Le piante e le erbe medicinali]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q156854}}

verum Category:Flora of North Africa Category:Flora of Europe Category:Flora of Asia Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus