Galium murale (L.) All.

Spice In the field

Family: RUBIACEAE

Genus: Galium

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera. Dragonera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Therophytic calicole fields. Rocky surfaces and dry stone walls. Old walls and therophytic communities.

Characteristics: Galium murale is surely the smallest of all the Galium; it lives in terophitic meadows but also in small seedbeds where there is a little soil. It can be identified by the verticilate arrangement of its fruits shortly pedunculate, with an elongated shape (the other Galium have rounded ones) and with small hairs at their tip.