96 THE GENUS GALIUM. [part i. 



agree with the common Bedstraw {Galium ver- 

 num) in the formation of their leaves and stem ; 

 but the species of GaHum are distinguished by 

 the margins of the leaves and the principal veins, 

 in nearly all the species, being covered with 

 prickles, which in some cases point forwards, 

 and in others are bent back, so as to catch 

 everything they touch. This is particularly the 

 case with the leaves of the plant called Goose- 

 grass, or Cleavers (^Galium aparine) ; and its 

 fruit is covered with hooked bristles, which take 

 so firm a hold as to make it difficult to separate 

 them from anything they have caught hold of. 

 The pretty little weed called Field Madder 

 {Sherardia arvensis)^ the fragrant Woodruff, 

 (Asperula odorata), and Rubia peregrina^ the only 

 British species of Madder, all agree with Galium 

 in its more important characters ; and as they 

 are all common weeds, my readers will probably 

 find it interesting to trace the differences 

 between them. Galium and Rubia agree in 

 having scarcely any limb to the calyx, and a 

 rotate corolla; but the limb, which is only four- 

 parted, or even three-parted, in Galium, has always 

 five lobes in Rubia ; there are also five stamens 

 in Rubia, and the fruit is a berry; whereas 

 there are only four stamens in Galium, and the 

 fruit is dry. Sherardia agrees with Asperula 

 in having a funnel-shaped corolla with a four- 



