Common name: Twin-leaved Bedstraw
Asperula gemella Airy Shaw & Turrill APNI* Synonyms: Galium geminifolium APNI*
Asperula geminifolia auct. non F.Muell. APNI*
Description: Suberect to decumbent, perennial herb; often supported by the surrounding plants. Stems with internodes mostly 30–70 mm long.
Leaves spreading to pendent linear to linear-lanceolate, mostly 5–25 mm long, 0.5–1.0 mm wide, apex subacute, lamina glabrous or with a few short, recurved hairs.
Flowers in terminal or axillary cymes often with 3 or more orders of branching, becoming extensively branched, mostly 5–7-flowered. Corolla white to yellowish green, corolla tube short one third to one fifth the length of the corolla lobes; male flowers 1.5–2 mm long; female flowers 1–1.5 mm long.
Fruit 2–3 mm long, deeply 2-lobed, brown to black.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in clay soils, in shrubland and woodland, usually near water. Occurs in arid and semi-arid areas of regions of eastern Australia, South-western Queensland, eastern South Australia, western New South Wales and north eastern Victoria.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CWS, NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Vic. S.A.
Text by T. A. James & W. K. Allen: updated Louisa Murray (Jan 2015)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992); Thompson I.R. (2009) Muelleria 27 (1).
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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