Rennet curd
Scientific name: Galium aristatum L
Family name: Rubiaceae
MORPHOLOGY
Growth habit and size: perennial herbaceous plant reaching a height of 80 centimeters.
Stem: elongated, quadrangular in cross-section and often leafless.
Leaves: narrowly lanceolate and up to 6.5 cm long. Both pages are glabrous and therefore hairless.
Flowers: appear between June and August in erect white inflorescences. The petals have apiculate lobes.
Fruits and seeds: schizocarpic fruits, which separate when ripe into two kidney-shaped, smooth and hairless portions.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Plant native to south-western Europe, widespread in Italy up to 1,500 m above sea level, especially in northern regions. It grows in beech forests and mixed deciduous broadleaf woods. It can also be found in wetlands and along watercourses.
USE
Edible plant.
INTERESTING FACTS
The genus name derives from the Greek ‘gala’ (= milk): several species of Galium were in fact used in the past to curdle milk in cheese-making. The specific name refers to the sharp point at the apex of the petals.
Photo: under free licence from Luciano Arcorace – INaturalist
