Galium aparine
Rubiaceae
Cleavers
Climbing to erect or sprawling. Stems 4-angled when young, brittle. Leaves in whorls of 6–8, round to oval, 1/2–1 1/4 in. long, with tiny, long, sharp point at rounded tip. Leaves have hooked bristles pointing back toward the plant. Flowers white to greenish on spreading stalks clustered in most leaf axils. Seed 2 sessile nutlets covered with hooked bristles. Grows in dry to moist forests, partly shaded areas along beaches, in fields, as a weed in gardens. Most common of all Galium species in Pacific Northwest. The name cleavers means "to cling," in this case by hooked hairs on both leaves and seeds.
- Rarity: Locally Common
- Flowering Time: Early Spring, Mid Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Mid Summer, Late Summer
- Flower Form: Petals 4
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Height: 8–40 inches
- Habitat: East-side Forest, Meadow, West-side Forest
- Found In: Crater Lake NP, East Gorge, Mt. Rainier NP, N Cascades NP, Olympic NP, Siskiyous, Steens, Wallowas, West Gorge
- Native: Yes
- Also Known As: Goose Grass
