The Rocky Bedstraw of the Majella

Habit: A small perennial herb 5-9 cm tall. Leaves: Arranged in whorls of 7-9 per node. Oblanceolate in shape, with a slightly fleshy, glossy blade, completely smooth to the touch. Flowers: Gathered in a dense, broadly ovoid inflorescence. Flowers small, 3-4 mm in diameter, with a milky-white corolla. A distinctive feature lies in the flower stalks, which are thickened and more or less spreading. Fruits: A diachene 2-2.5 mm long, with a smooth or only faintly wrinkled surface. Flowering: June-August.

Chorological type: Italian endemic. Distribution: Endemic to the Central and Southern Apennines. Habitat: It lives exclusively in extreme environments such as screes, rocky debris and high-altitude calcareous gravels between 1800 and 2600 m above sea level.

Generic name (Galium): From the Greek gala, meaning “milk”. The name refers to the traditional use of some related species, such as Galium verum, whose enzymes can curdle milk in cheese production. Specific name (magellense): A geographical adjective referring to the Majella massif in Abruzzo, where the species was first identified and described by the botanist Michele Tenore.