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Galium odoratum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Rubiaceae |
Genus: | Galium |
Species: | G. odoratum
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Binomial name | |
Galium odoratum | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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Galium odoratum, the sweet woodruff[1] or sweetscented bedstraw,[3] is a flowering perennial plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to much of Europe from Spain and Ireland to Russia, as well as Western Siberia, Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus,[2] China and Japan.[4] It is also sparingly naturalised in scattered locations in the United States and Canada.[5] It is widely cultivated for its flowers and its sweet-smelling foliage.[6][7][8]
A herbaceous plant, it grows to 30–50 cm (12–20 in) long, often lying flat on the ground or supported by other plants.
It owes its sweet smell to the odoriferous agent coumarin, and is sometimes used as a flavouring agent due to its chemical content.