bedstraw Definition
bed·straw (-strô′)
noun
any of a genus (Galium) of small plants of the madder family, with whorled leaves and small flowers
Etymology: from its former use as straw for beds
bedstraw Usage Examples
Converse of object
include: These include heath bedstraw, lesser stitchwort, yellow bartsia, tormentil cross-leaved heath and spotted orchids.
Adjective modifier
hedge: The larval foodplants are cleavers, hedge bedstraw and primroses.
Modifies a noun
- galium: Fixed dune vegetation with red fescue Festuca rubra and lady's bedstraw Galium verum is very extensive and dominates most of the site.
- verum: Fixed dune vegetation with red fescue Festuca rubra and lady's bedstraw Galium verum is very extensive and dominates most of the site.
- hawkmoth: Several uncommon moths have been recorded including the bedstraw hawkmoth, a migrant from Mediterranean, which has bred in the past.
- plant: The bedstraw plant is a common plant and includes species such as cleavers and lady's bedstraw.
Noun used with modifier
- heath: Wet patches are dominated by heath rush and here heath bedstraw is likely to be the only common herb.
- marsh: The herbaceous composition predominantly consists of marsh bedstraw, meadowsweet and ragged robin.
- limestone: The grassland is dominated by blue moor-grass with herb species such as limestone bedstraw, carline thistle and wild thyme present.
- fen: A county rarity, fen bedstraw, is also present.
- lady: As well as marram grass there are a lot of flowering plants such as ladies bedstraw, northern marsh orchid and cowslip.

