| Author | Bigelow | |
| Distribution | Throughout the eastern and central Piedmont and essentially all of the Coastal Plain; ranges west to Stokes, Rowan, and Gaston counties.
This is a widespread Eastern species, yet it is scarce in the Appalachians and locally in some areas surrounding these mountains. It ranges south to northern FL and eastern TX. | |
| Abundance | Fairly common to locally common in the Piedmont and most of the Coastal Plain. It is locally uncommon in parts of the eastern and central Coastal Plain. The var. filifolium is the one found mostly in the Piedmont, and much of the western Coastal Plain; whereas the nominate variety is nearly restricted to the Coastal Plain. | |
| Habitat | This is a wetland species, favoring marshes, openings in swamps and bottomlands, and along stream banks, usually where sunny to partly shaded. | |
| Phenology | Blooms in April and May, and fruits from May to July. | |
| Identification | This is a rather slender herb, erect to ascending, and often quite branched, reaching about 1.5 feet tall. The stem is usually smooth. Leaves are in whorls of 4, quite hispid at least on the margins, somewhat stiff, and variable in shape. The nominate variety has linear to obovate leaves, about 2/3-inch long and barely 1/6-inch wide, whereas var. filifolium has leaves very narrowly linear and barely 1/8-inch wide. The white flowers are in axillary clusters, mostly in the upper portions; each cluster is on a long pedicel. The fruits are smooth and black, but not fleshy. There are many other Galium species with 4 leaves in a whorl, but only this and G. uniflorum have linear leaves, and that species has dark green, fleshy, evergreen leaves. This is generally the most frequently seen Galium in marshes and other sunny damp-ground habitats. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Essentially all references list two varieties in the East, the nominate one and var. filifolium; the latter is the more common in NC.
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| Other Common Name(s) | Wild Madder | |
| State Rank | S4? [S5] | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACW link |
| USACE-emp | FACW link |
