58 CLASS IV. ORDER I. 



lanceolate, not linear, and three or four times as large. The 

 fruit also is scattered, and nearly sessile on virgated stalks, not 

 forming a thick panicle as in that species. — Woods. — June, July. 

 — Perennial. 



This plant and the preceding are sometimes called Liquorice 

 by the country people. 



Galium trifidum. Willd. Small Cleavers. 



Stems procumbent, rough backward ; leaves of the 

 stern in fives, of the branches in fours, linear, ob- 

 tuse, rough on the edge; flowers mostly trifid : fruit 

 smooth. 

 Syn. Galium Claytoini. Mx. 



This is our smallest species, and its corollas have frequently 

 but three segments. It agrees sufficiently well with the Euro- 

 pean plant figured by Oeder, though some have separated it. — 

 Wet grounds. — July. 



Galium triflorum. Mx. Three Jloivered Cleavers. 



Stems prociunbent, smoothish ; leaves in sixes, 

 obovate-ianceolate, smooth, scarcely ciliate ; branches 

 elongated, three flowered; flowers pedicelled, fruit 

 hispid. 



A well marked species with rather large leaves and small 

 flowers. The fruit forms a sort of umbel of three rays. — Woods, 

 Chelsea beach island. — July. — Perennial. 



Galium Aparine. L. Common Cleavers. 



Leaves in eights, lanceolate, carinate, rough, prick- 

 ly backwards; stem flaccid; fruit bristly. Sm. 



Stem brittle, Aveak, much branched, prickly backward, leaning 

 upon other plants for support. Leaves in whorls of about eight 

 together, lance-obovate, their margin and keel rough backward. 

 Flowers numerous, small, white, on axillary and terminal pedun- 

 cles. Fruit hispid. — In moist thickets. — May, June. — Annual. 



