Lady's Bedstraw

''Galium verum'' (lady's bedstraw 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 Palestine, 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 tall. The leaves are long and broad, shiny dark green, hairy underneath, borne in whorls of 8–12. The flowers are in diameter, yellow, and produced in dense clusters. This species is sometimes confused with ''Galium odoratum'', a species with traditional culinary uses.

Uses

In medieval Europe, the dried plants were used to stuff mattresses, 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.
The plant is also used to make red madder-like and yellow dyes.
In Denmark, the plant (known locally as ') is traditionally used to infuse spirits, making the uniquely Danish drink '.

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''.

In Romanian folklore, it is called '' sânziana'' and it is linked to the Sânziene fairies and their festival on June 24.

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. The plant is known as ''lus chneas Chù-Chulainn'' 'the herb of Cú Chulainn's skin' in Scottish Gaelic, 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).

In Serbian folklore ''Ivanjski venci'' (''Midsummer wreaths'') are made out of Galium verum the day ahead of Nativity of John the Baptist celebration. 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.

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

Subspecies

Many varietal and subspecific names have been proposed, but only four are currently (May 2014) recognized:Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
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*''Galium verum'' subsp. ''asiaticum'' (Nakai) T.Yamaz - China, Korea, Japan, Russian Far East (Primorye)
*''Galium verum'' subsp. ''glabrescens'' Ehrend. - Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria
*''Galium verum'' subsp. ''verum'' - most of species range
*''Galium verum'' subsp. ''wirtgenii'' (F.W.Schultz) Oborny - Central and eastern Europe plus Western Siberia

Gallery

File:Ladys bedstraw 1.JPG, Seedling

References

External links

*
Line drawing from Flora of PakistanPhoto of herbarium specimen at University of Missouri, collected in Missouri, ''Galium verum'' Plants for a FutureUS Department of Agriculture plants profileNaturGate, Luontoportti, Helsinki, Lady's Bedstraw, ''Galium verum''Emorsgate seeds, wild seeds of the UK, Galium verum – Lady's Bedstraw

Herbal Encounter, Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium Verum) Minnesota Wildflowers

* ttp://www.erbe.altervista.org/galium_verum.html Altervista, Galium verum L. - Erba zolfina, Le piante e le erbe medicinali
{{Taxonbar, from=Q156854

verum
Flora of North Africa
Flora of Europe
Flora of Asia
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus