Geum laciniatum Murray

Rough Avens

© SRTurner

Family - Rosaceae

Habit - Perennial forb.

Stem - To 1 m, ascending to erect, often arching, densely pubescent with spreading hairs.

	Stem and node with stipule.
© SRTurner

Leaves - Basal and alternate. Basal leaves petiolate, usually pinnately compound with 3-7 leaflets. Cauline leaves progressively smaller, becoming sessile, ternately compound or deeply lobed. Stipules 7-15 mm long, lobed. Leaflets to 10 cm, broad and irregular, variously shaped, surfaces hairy.

	Leaves.
© SRTurner

Inflorescence - Open panicles with relatively straight branches, not drooping. Flower stalks conspicuously pubescent with spreading hairs.

	Inflorescence.
© SRTurner

Calyx - Sepals 5, to 1 cm long, alternating with 5 shorter, narrower bractlets.

	Sepals and bractlets.
© SRTurner

Flower - Petals 5, similar in size or slightly shorter than sepals, white, sometimes becoming cream colored with age. Stamens numerous. Apical portion of style 1.0-1.5 mm long, bristly-pubescent near base.

	New flower.
© SRTurner

	Aging flower.
© SRTurner

Fruits - Main body 3-5 mm long, flattened, glabrous or more commonly pubescent with minute and/or bristly hairs, the persistent stylar beak 4-6 mm long, usually sparsely hairy toward the base.

	Fruiting head.
© SRTurner

Flowering - May - July.

Habitat - Bottomland forests, wet prairies, streambanks, slough margins, marshes.

Origin - Native to the U.S.

Lookalikes - Other species of Geum.

Other info. - This species is found principally in the northeastern U.S. and into Canada, with Missouri being near the southwestern extent of its natural range. In appearance the plant is similar to the more common species Geum canadense and Geum virginianum, but can be distinguished from those species by the conspicuous spreading hairs on its flower stalks. This character can easily be seen on the above photo of the fruiting head. As with all species of Geum, the fruiting heads are distinctive clusters of achenes, with the persistent styles having kinked joints near their tips.

Photographs taken at Chloe Lowry Marsh Natural Area, Mercer County, MO, 6-15-2014 and 6-17-2018 (SRTurner).