Flowers. Photo: Chris Lindorff, Neds Corner Sation Reserve, via Lake Cullulleraine, Vic

Fruit. Photo: Chris Lindorff, Neds Corner Sation Reserve, via Lake Cullulleraine, Vic

Leaves and stems. Photo: Chris Lindorff, Neds Corner Sation Reserve, via Lake Cullulleraine, Vic

Common Name

Twin Leaved Bedstraw

Family

Rubiaceae

Notes

Perennial forb, sprawling or with weak scrambling stems, to 1m tall. Leaves in whorls of 4 near the base, opposite each other on flowering stems, 0.5-3.5cm long, 0.5-1mm wide, flat to linear, hairless or slightly hairy, margins more or less curved up, sometimes with hairs along the margin, and with more or less pointed tips. Male and female flowers on different plants. Flowers small (less than 3mm across), funnel-shaped with a very short tube and 4 lobes, white to yellowish green. Male flowers yellowish inside. Flowers in open clusters of 1-9 flowers at the ends of the stems, or on stalks arising from the bases of the leaves. Rare Vic.

Description (page 619) and photo (page 620) (as Asperula geminifolia) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales

PlantNET description with line drawings and photo:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Asperula~gemella