Galium philistaeum, Galium lasianthum,
Galium philistaeum forma calvescens, דבקה פלשת

Scientific name:		Galium philistaeum Boiss.
Synonym name:		Galium lasianthum Eig., Galium philistaeum forma calvescens Feinbrun
Common name:		-
Hebrew name:		דבקה פלשת
Family:		Rubiaceae; Madder, Bedstraw or Coffee family; פואתיים

Life form:		Annual
Stems:		15-30 cm high
Leaves:		Whorled; entire; lanceolate or narrow elliptical, smooth margin
Inflorescence:		Dense clusters of tiny, fragrant flowers
Flowers:		Hermaphrodite; corolla with scattered minute hairs outside
Fruits / pods:		Fruit is variable, sometimes forming multiples
Flowering Period:		March, April, May
Habitat:		Sand
Distribution:		Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Shrub-steppes
Chorotype:		Mediterranean
Summer shedding:		Ephemeral

Derivation of the botanical name: Galium from Greek word gala, "milk," and alluding to the fact that certain species were used to curdle milk. philistaeum, from Philistine. lasianthum, lasios λαιοϛ, shaggy, wooly, hairy; anthos ανϑοϛ, flower; woolly flowered. The standard author abbreviation Boiss. is used to indicate Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810 – 1885), a Swiss botanist, explorer and mathematician. The standard author abbreviation Eig is used to indicate Alexander Eig (1894 – 1938), a botanist, one of the first plant researchers in Israel, head of department for Botanics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and co-founder of Jerusalem Botanical Gardens on Mount Scopus. The standard author abbreviation Feinbrun is used to indicate Naomi Feinbrun-Dothan (1900 – 1995), an Israeli botanist.