Galium hypocarpium

Native to tropical and subtropical America, it is a perennial herb with weak stems that creep or scramble through surrounding vegetation. It grows along woodland edges and in thickets, and occurs widely in the Colombian Andes. Its leaves and leaflike stipules form whorls around the stems. Small, pale flowers at the nodes are followed by conspicuous fleshy fruits that ripen orange to red; these can be smooth or hairy. In the lower Uruguay River region, the plant is valued ornamentally for its colorful fruits, and its roots have been used to dye textiles red. Photographed in Colombia.