This species with a broadly Mediterranean distribution is present in almost all regions of Italy (missing only in Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and perhaps in Umbria). It grows in peaty meadows and sedge communities on the banks of ponds and bogs, on moist soil that is periodically flooded, from sea level to the lower montane belt. The species is sporadic on the edge of the Sardinian temporary ponds, in contact with mesic grasslands. The genus name derives from the Greek 'gala' (milk), which is also related to the Italian 'caglio' (rennet): different species were used to curdle milk in cheese-making; the species name, that in Latin means ‘weak’, refers to the general frailty of the plant. Flowering period: May to July. |