Missouri Plants Bedstraw   (Galium aparine) Tracheophyta: Angiosperm: Dicot: Madder (Rubiaceae) Native North American Plant Habitat: waste places. ID Features: sticky stems, small white flowers. Natural History: Bedstraw is a common plant in Missouri. Early settlers used the dried "straw" to fill bedding. The fruit, very tiny (only 1/4" across with bristles), have apparently been used as a coffee substitute. The plant is "sticky" and will adhere to clothing.

The information is from: Missouri Wildflowers by Edgar Denison, 5th Edition, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1998.