About 400 species; see text
Galium L., is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, with about 400 species occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The species are variously known as bedstraw (most species), goosegrass (G. aparine), and woodruff (G. odoratum).
Bedstraws are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Riband Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet and Barred Straw.
