Common name: Blue Woodruff
Asperula arvensis L. APNI* 
Description: Erect annual herb; stems to 40 cm high, sparsely scabrous to glabrous.
Leaves and stipules in whorls of 6–8, linear-lanceolate in upper parts, reduced to whorls of 4 below, broad-lanceolate, 10–30 mm long, 1–4 mm wide, apex obtuse, margins scabrous, lamina scabrous to glabrous.
Inflorescence a terminal head surrounded by leafy involucral bracts longer than the flowers, margins long-ciliate, c. 7-flowered. Flowers bisexual. Corolla 5–6 mm long, bluish violet.
Fruit 2–3 mm wide, brown.
Flowering: spring to early summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Usually found in cultivation, recorded rarely as a garden escape, known only from 2 old collections at Penshurst and possibly on the NC. Native of Eur.
NSW subdivisions: ?NC, *CC
Not closely related to Australian species of Asperula.
Text by T. A. James & W. K. Allen
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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