Straggly plant up to about 50 cm. Hairless with square stems. Leaves in whorls of 4 to 6 with a rough margin, one veined; never mucronate or apiculate. Flowers white, occasionally greenish with red anthers. 2 to 3 mm usually four parted in a lax pyramidal panicle.

Galium uliginosum, the Fen Bedstraw, is v similar but with mucronate or apiculate leaves

Check the leaf shape, and provide a photo showing leaf apex as well as photo showing whole plant

Moist or wet habitats such as wet ditches. Sometimes growing in water.

June to August.

Perennial.

Fairly frequent in suitable locations throughout Britain.

Fairly frequent in suitable locations in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 326 of the 617 tetrads.