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smooth bedstraw
Scientific Name: Cruciata laevipes
Family: Rubiaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Crosswort (Cruciata laevipes)
Cruciata laevipes, also commonly known as crosswort or smooth bedstraw (and Luc na croise in Gaelic), is a flowering plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family. It's often considered an invasive and opportunistic weed, particularly in agricultural settings.
Considerations for Pets
- Smooth bedstraw reproduces by seed and by roots.
Considerations for Children
- Smooth bedstraw reproduces by seed and by roots.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Cruciata laevipes
- Common Names: Crosswort, Smooth Bedstraw, Luc na croise (Gaelic)
- Family: Rubiaceae
- Synonyms: Galium laevipes, Galium cruciata
- USDA PLANTS Symbol: CRLA13
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to Eurasia.
- Introduced and now common in North America.
- Observed from southern Canada to Georgia.
- Widespread in eastern Ohio and scattered throughout other areas of the state.
- Often found in poorly managed hayfields with low fertility and high acidity (low pH).
- Populations have expanded into abandoned agricultural fields.
Ecological Role
- Considered an invasive and opportunistic weed.
- Can significantly reduce yields of hayfields and other forage crops.
- Impacts landscapes, nursery crops, and turfgrass.
- Spreads along roads, acting as corridors for its dispersal.
Morphological Characteristics
- Perennial plant growing up to 0.6 meters (approximately 2 feet) tall.
- Stems are square, smooth, and slender, growing to 90cm in length.
- Stems can be initially upright, then sprawling and much-branched.
- Leaves are whorled, with 6 to 8 leaves per whorl.
- Leaves are short, thin, linear, oblanceolate to obovate, and bright green.
- Produces tiny, white, 4-petaled flowers.
Quirky Facts
- The roots can be used to make a red dye.
- The leaves are edible.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Considered unpalatable to some livestock, making it a problematic weed in pastures.
Resources and Further Information
- USDA PLANTS Database: [No direct link provided, but referenced via symbol]
- Dave's Garden: [Referenced as a friendly community sharing garden tips]
- Plants For A Future: http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?
- Controlling Smooth Bedstraw in Hayfields and Pastures. Bulletin #2278. Developed by Extension Professor Richard Kersbergen, University of [State not provided].