northern bedstraw, Galium boreale

In the summer and fall a fen will be covered with flowers. Many of them will be right up there in your face, advertising like it's their superbowl. Others will be a little more subtle, hanging around down at your knees, attracting attention from those who hunt by scent, and appreciate a quieter interaction. That might be northern bedstraw. These are maybe a quarter inch each at their most enthusiastic, but their bunches have a fragrance that will bring you close any time you spot them. This grows in every state and province except AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, LB, and NF, and on GL. They are endangered in MA and MD.
Ives Fen Preserve, Lenawee Co MI, 6/17/11.