Galium album Mill. subsp. album

Taxonomy: Fam. Rubiaceae// Genus: Galium// Species: Galium album Mill.// Subspecies: Galium album Mill. subsp. album.

Determined according to the botanical keys provided by Ehrendorfer et al. in Tutin et al. (1976) and the botanical keys for Galium sect. Leiogalum provided by Ančev and Krendl (2011).

Species variability: Two subspecies of Galium album Mill. occur in the Osogovo region: Galium album Mill. subsp. album and Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum (Heinr. Braun) Krendl (Heinr. Braun) Krendl.

Distinction between subspecies:

subsp. album: predominantly glabrous (or with papillose leaves), more slender plant up to 80 cm high, leaves more or less gradually narrowed at the apex.

subsp. pycnotrichum: a robust, taller plant, with densely hairy stems and leaves, leaves usually abruptly narrowed at apex.

Lifeform: Perennial, hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiaer system.

Distribution: Native from Europe to West Siberia, North Africa to Sudan according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal.

Habitat: Mountain pastures, clearings of forests, sparse woods in the European beech forest zone up to c. 1600-1650 m altitude.

Flowering period: Summer: JUN, JUL, AUG.

References:

Gallium L. Ehrendorfer, F. (Sect. Platygalium, Trachygalium, Galium, Leiogalium, Jubogalium and Kolgyda in collaboration with Krendl, F.; Sect. Aparinoides in collaboration with Puff., Ch.) in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1976). Flora Europaea. Volume 4: Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 14 – 36.

Ančev, M. and Krendl, F. (2011). Galium sect. Leiogalium (Rubiaceae) in the Bulgarian flora. Phytologia Balcanica 17(3): 291–314. http://www.bio.bas.bg/~phytolbalcan/PDF/17_3/17_3_05_Anchev_&_Krendl.pdf [Accessed 03.08.2021].

Galium album subsp. album. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77168429-1 [Accessed 04.08.2025].