Taxon Report

Galium californicum H. & A. ssp. primum Dempster & Steb.

Alvin Meadow bedstraw

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Galium californicum ssp. primum, commonly known as Alvin Meadow bedstraw, is a perennial herb in the Rubiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, and Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1350 to 1700 meters. Galium californicum ssp. primum is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Galium californicum H. & A. ssp. primum Dempster & Steb.
Common Name:	Alvin Meadow bedstraw
Family:	Rubiaceae
Element Code:	PDRUB0N0E6
USDA Plants Symbol:	GACAP
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jul	May-Jul
Elevation:	1350-1700 (4430-5580)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Granitic, Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G5T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	12
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	10

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Riverside (RIV), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Blackburn Canyon (3311667), Cahuilla Mtn. (3311657), Idyllwild (3311666), Lake Fulmor (3311677), San Bernardino South (3411713)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	25 %
Hybridization	3	25%
Logging	1	8%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	8%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	8%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	8%

Notes



Known from only four occurrences. Threatened by recreational activities. See University of California Publications in Botany 46:30 (1968) for original description, and Flora of California 4(2):39-41 (1979) by L. Dempster for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 31 October 2025].