Lady's Bedstraw is a
native
perennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in grassland and meadow, to a mature height of up to 50cm.
The name Bedstraw is descriptive of a plant's former use as a dried bedding material. The specific name 'Lady's Bedstraw' was given to this plant was because is made a relatively soft bedding. It also had the advantages of having a sweet scent and acting as a flea repellant.
Botanic classification and naming: Lady's Bedstraw is a member of the Madder (Rubiaceae) family. The genus name
'Galium' identifies the plant as a Bedstraw and its species name 'verum' means 'true-to-type'.
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