About Thesium humifusum DC.
Thesium humifusum DC. typically grows prostrate along the ground, only rarely developing more upright flowering stems. Its leaves are yellowish green, strap-shaped, and grow up to 25 mm (1 in) long, with one central vein. The flowers are also yellowish, only 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long, and have five tepals, five stamens, a single ovary containing three ovules, and one style. In continental Europe, this species occurs across France, Spain, and Italy. It is very rare in the Netherlands, where it is currently limited to a single dune system near Katwijk aan Zee. In Belgium, it grows in coastal dunes in Flanders, and may occur at one site in Wallonia. It is the only Thesium species found in Great Britain, where it is classified as 'scarce', and it may also be present in parts of North Africa. Thesium humifusum is a hemiparasitic plant that obtains nutrients from either hedge bedstraw (Galium album) or lady's bedstraw (Galium verum). While it can grow in large numbers in suitable habitats, its low growth form and unnoticeable flowers often cause it to be overlooked. In Great Britain, it is limited to chalk or oolitic limestone downlands in southern England. In other regions, it can also grow in sand dune systems.
