Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum (Heinr. Braun) Krendl

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Taxonomy: Fam. Rubiaceae// Genus: Galium// Species: Galium album Mill.// Subspecies: Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum (Heinr. Braun) Krendl.

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.

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 East Central and Southeast Europe to Türkiye according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat:  Clearings of forests, roadsides, disturbed ground.

Flowering period: Late spring – summer: MAY, JUN.

Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – habit. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – habit. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – habit. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowering stem with inflorescence. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – inflorescence. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – inflorescence. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – partial inflorescences. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – partial inflorescence. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – partial inflorescence with flower buds. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – upper part of stem and partial inflorescence with flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – flowers. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – upper part of stem with leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – stem, branches of inflorescence and leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – stem with leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – stem with leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – stems with leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – lower part of stems with leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – lower part of stems with leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – lower part of stems with leaves. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – stem. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – plant base. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – plant base. Osogovo – between the villages of Tursko Rudari and Shtalkovica, 01.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – inflorescence. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – inflorescence. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – stem and leaves. Scale in mm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum – upper row: flowers; lower row: leaves. Scale in mm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

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 21.06.2025].

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.

Galium album subsp. pycnotrichum (Heinr.Braun) Krendl. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77189441-1 [Accessed 21.06.2025].