Skip to main content
Galium verum

Galium verum

9.9
A low plant with many small yellow flowers that grows in meadows
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Galium verum
  • The vibrant yellow flowers of Galium verum attract many species of pollinating insects.

Examples

  • Galium verum can often be found growing wild along meadows and roadsides in Europe.

  • In herbal medicine, Galium verum was traditionally used for its supposed healing properties.

  • The Galium verum blooms beautifully in the summer.

  • I found Galium verum growing near the riverbank.

  • Galium verum is commonly found in meadows and fields across Europe during the summer months.

  • Many gardeners appreciate Galium verum for its ability to attract beneficial pollinators to their gardens.

  • The small yellow flowers of Galium verum can often be seen lining country roads in the spring.

Synonyms

yellow bedstraw
vsGalium verum
7.5

A common plant with small yellow flowers that lives many years

is the formal Latin botanical name used in scientific contexts
Our Lady's bedstraw
vsGalium verum
9.9

A wild meadow plant with many small yellow flowers and a sweet smell

is the formal Latin botanical name rather than a folk reverent name

Surface Forms

Galium verum singular
Galium verums plural

Morphology

Galium + verum

This is a Latin binomial (scientific species name) used as a fixed label; a B1 learner who knows the English words will not be able to derive the common-name meaning 'lady's bedstraw' from the constituents. The second element 'verum' is not an English lexical item here and the binomial functions as a proper name, so its referential meaning is lexicalized rather than compositional across languages.

Etymology

Galium verum may come from old words for 'milk' and 'true': people used the plant to help turn milk into cheese, so Galium links to 'milk' and verum means 'true'. That's why the name fits this small yellow herb that people once used with milk to make cheese.