{{Short description|Genus of plants}} {{Distinguish|text=the chemical element gallium}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Flowers February 2008-4.jpg |image_caption = Flowers of ''Galium aparine'' |display_parents = 2 |taxon = Galium |authority = L. |diversity_link = List of Galium species |diversity = ''c.'' 650, see text }}

'''''Galium''''' is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Some species are informally known as '''bedstraw'''.<ref>[http://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile?symbol=GALIU ''Galium''.] USDA PLANTS.</ref>

Over 600 species of ''Galium'' are described,<ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=113187 ''Galium''.] Flora of China.</ref> with estimates of 629<ref name=WCSP>{{cite web|url=https://apps.kew.org/wcsp/reportbuilder.do?method=Reset |title=WCSP |work= World Checklist of Selected Plant Families|access-date=2010-04-05}}</ref> to 650<ref>[https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=11284 ''Galium''.] The Jepson eFlora 2013.</ref> as of 2013. The field madder, ''Sherardia arvensis'', is a close relative and may be confused with a tiny bedstraw. ''Asperula'' is also a closely related genus; some species of ''Galium'' (such as woodruff, ''G. odoratum'') are occasionally placed therein.

==Genetic variability==

The phenotypic plasticity and genetic variability of this species allows it to be constantly shifting to best fit its environment, adjusting lifecycles, seed germination, productivity, growth form, freezing tolerance, etc.<ref>Taylor, K. (1999), Galium aparine L.. Journal of Ecology, 87: 713-730. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.1999.00381.x</ref> Herbicides at the recommended amount are not effective enough to decrease catchweed bedstraw biomass or population, twice the amount is needed.<ref>Mennan, H., Streibig, J. C., Ngouajio, M., & Cankaya, S. (2011). Response of two catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine) populations to post-emergence herbicides in winter wheat. International Journal of Pest Management, 57(4), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/09670874.2011.622085</ref>

==As invasive species==

Cattle and other livestock do not often feed on this plant, making it thrive and dominating over other species. ''G. mollugo'' in particular, is a thriving invasive species, since it can dominate in areas where other alien species would not be able to, growing very fast in best conditions.<ref>The biology of Canadian weeds. 121. Galium mollugo L. D. Mersereau and A. DiTommaso Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA 14853, 2002</ref>

==See also== *List of ''Galium'' species

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Commons-inline|italic=1}} * [https://apps.kew.org/wcsp/rubiaceae/ World Checklist of Rubiaceae] *{{cite web | url = http://beta.uniprot.org/taxonomy/25168 | title = Genus ''Galium'' | access-date = 2008-05-07 | author = UniProt | author-link = UniProt }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q148633}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Galium Category:Rubiaceae genera Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Galium-stub}}