Cleavers

Galium aparine b.jpg

Scientific classification e

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Asterids

Order: Gentianales

Family: Rubiaceae

Genus: Galium

Species: G. aparine

Binomial name

Galium aparine

L.

Synonyms[1]

Aparine hispida Moench nom. illeg.

Aparine vulgaris Hill

Asperula aparine (L.) Besser nom. illeg.

Asterophyllum aparine (L.) Schimp. & Spenn.

Crucianella purpurea Wulff ex Steud.

Galion aparinum (L.) St.-Lag.

Galium aculeatissimum Kit. ex Kanitz

Galium adhaerens Gilib. nom. inval.

Galium asperum Honck. nom. illeg.

Galium australe Reiche nom. illeg.

Galium charoides Rusby

Galium chilense Hook.f.

Galium chonosense Clos nom. illeg.

Galium hispidum Willd.

Galium horridum Eckl. & Zeyh. nom. illeg.

Galium intermedium Mérat nom. illeg.

Galium lappaceum Salisb. nom. illeg.

Galium larecajense Wernham

Galium parviflorum Maxim. nom. illeg.

Galium pseudoaparine Griseb.

Galium scaberrimum Vahl ex Hornem.

Galium segetum K.Koch

Galium tenerrimum Schur

Galium uliginosum Thunb. nom. illeg.

Galium uncinatum Gray

Rubia aparine (L.) Baill.

Galium aparine, ('aparine' from Greek 'apairo' - “lay hold of” or “seize”) [2] with many common names
including cleavers,[3] clivers, "bort", bedstraw, goosegrass,[3] catchweed,[3] stickyweed, stickybud,
robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy,[3][4] sticky willow, stickyjack, stickeljack, and grip grass, is a
herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae.

Contents

1 Description

2 Distribution

3 Effects on the body

4 Chemistry
5 Edibility

6 Folk medicine

7 Other uses

8 Ecology

9 Etymology

10 Photos

11 References

12 Further reading

Description

Cleavers are annuals with creeping straggling stems which branch and grow along the ground and over
other plants. They attach themselves with the small hooked hairs which grow out of the stems and
leaves. The stems can reach up to three feet or longer, and are angular or square shaped.[5] The leaves
are simple, narrowly oblanceolate to linear, and borne in whorls of six to eight.[5][6][7]

Cleavers have tiny, star-shaped, white to greenish flowers, which emerge from early spring to summer.
The flowers are clustered in groups of two or three, and are borne out of the leaf axils.[8]The corolla
bears 4 petals.[9] The globular fruits are burrs which grow one to three seeds clustered together; they
are covered with hooked hairs which cling to animal fur, aiding in seed dispersal.[8]