Geum canadense
Rosaceae tribe Colurieae
benoîte du Canada, white avens
30–100 cm, glabrate to downy, hairs to 1.5 mm, sometimes glandular.
basal 10–25 cm, blade simple or pinnate, major leaflets 3–5, plus 0–4 minor basal ones, terminal leaflet larger than major laterals;
cauline 3–8 cm, stipules ± free, 4–13 × 1–7 mm, blade 3-foliolate or simple and 3-lobed to unlobed.
alternate, sometimes opposite (Geum), pinnately compound or simple;
stipules persistent, ± free or ± adnate to petiole;
venation pinnate or palmate.
3–15-flowered.
densely hairy, hairs of varying lengths, few long stiff ones, sometimes glandular.
erect;
epicalyx bractlets 0.5–1.5 mm;
hypanthium green;
sepals spreading but soon reflexed, 3–6 mm;
petals spreading, white, obovate to oblong, (3–)4–8 mm, ± equal to or slightly longer than sepals, apex rounded.
perianth and androecium perigynous;
epicalyx bractlets absent or present;
hypanthium funnelform, saucer- to cup-shaped, or obconic to obcampanulate;
torus usually enlarged;
carpels (2 or)3–250(–450), styles terminal (subterminal in Waldsteinia), distinct;
ovules 1 or 2, basal, superposed.
sessile, densely bristly, hairs 1–2.3 mm.
geniculate-jointed, proximal segment persistent, 2–8 mm, apex hooked, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy or stipitate-glandular, distal segment deciduous, 1–2 mm, pilose in basal 1/2, hairs much longer than diam. of style.
aggregated achenes;
styles persistent, sometimes deciduous (Waldsteinia), elongate, sometimes hooked, glabrous or hairy, rarely plumose.
= 42.
Geum canadense
Rosaceae tribe Colurieae
Varieties and forms have been described in an effort to classify the variation encompassed in Geum canadense. In the eastern half of the United States, it is by far the most common, widespread, and variable of the Geum species. Nearly all writers of recent floras have not found it worthwhile to apply names to the variants. Perhaps the most distinctive and worthy of further consideration are plants from the southwestern corner of the range in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. These plants, some of which fit Fernald and Weatherby’s description of var. texanum, bloom from late March through May, significantly earlier than the rest of the species, which typically flowers after June first, even in the other southern states.
Geum canadense hybridizes with G. urbanum (= G. ×catlingii J.-P. Bernard & R. Gauthier); see discussion under 15. G. urbanum.
Geum album J. F. Gmelin is a superfluous name that pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Genera 4, species ca. 60 (4 genera, 22 species in the flora).
Waldsteinia is recognized as distinct from Geum in this treatment, while D. Potter et al. (2007) included the former in the latter. Names are provided for users who would prefer to include Waldsteinia within Geum, as supported by molecular data (J. E. E. Smedmark and T. Eriksson 2002).
The base chromosome number for Colurieae is x = 7. Except for Fallugia, the genera of Colurieae are host to Phragmidium rusts. C. Kalkman (2004) stated that two ovules had been reported for Fallugia but that he observed only one, which would accord better with membership in Colurieae.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Shrubs, 10–20(–35) dm; leaves simple; flowers all pistillate, all staminate, or staminate with terminal one bisexual. | Fallugia |
1. Herbs or subshrubs, 0.2–12 dm; leaves simple, sometimes lobed, or ternately or pinnately compound; flowers bisexual | → 2 |
2. Subshrubs; inflorescences: flowers solitary. | Sieversia |
2. Herbs; inflorescences 1–18-flowered, open cymes or panicles | → 3 |
3. Plants subscapose or leafy-stemmed; tori hemispheric to cylindric; carpels (2–)20–250(–450); fruiting styles persistent, elongating, hooked or not. | Geum |
3. Plants scapose; tori not evident; carpels 3–7; fruiting styles deciduous, not hooked. | Waldsteinia |
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