Galium aparine
Goose grass
Galium aparine, commonly known as cleavers or bedstraw, is a versatile herbaceous plant characterized by its distinctive hooked hairs. Widely distributed across temperate regions, this climbing perennial has long been utilized in traditional herbalism for its diuretic, lymphatic, and skin-soothing properties, making it a staple in folk medicine.
- Scientific name: Galium aparine
- Family: Rubiaceae
- Native range: Europe
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianaales, it is classified under the family Rubiaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Galium.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Rubiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Galium | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Galium aparine, is referred to by various common names depending on the region and language. In Simplified Chinese, it is known as 原拉拉藤 (zh-hans) and 原拉拉藤 (zh-cn), while in Singapore, it is also called 原拉拉藤 (zh-sg). In Traditional Chinese contexts, such as in Taiwan, it is commonly called 歐洲豬殃殃 (zh-hant), a name that is also used in Hong Kong (zh-hk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 原拉拉藤 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 歐洲豬殃殃 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 歐洲豬殃殃 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 原拉拉藤 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 原拉拉藤 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 歐洲豬殃殃 | Wikidata |
| eu | Ziabelar latz | Wikidata |
| pl | Przytulia czepna | Wikidata |
| ru | подмаренник цепкий | Wikidata |
| ca | apegalosa | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific presence within the northern reaches of the European continent. Its distribution includes the Scandinavian landscapes of Denmark and Finland. The species is also found across the North Atlantic, spanning from the islands of Førøya to Iceland. Furthermore, it can be documented within the diverse habitats of Great Britain. Together, these regions highlight a concentrated northern European range for the species.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Denmark | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Finland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Føroyar | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Iceland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Ireland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Norway | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Svalbard | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Sweden | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Austria | WCVP |
Activities
Galium aparine has 2 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Antioxidant.
- Total activities
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |