Geum geniculatum is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common name bent avens.[1][2] It is endemic to the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States, where it occurs on only five mountains: Grandfather Mountain, Snake Mountain, and Rich Mountain in North Carolina, Roan Mountain straddling the North Carolina-Tennessee border, and Whitetop Mountain in Virginia.[1]
| Geum geniculatum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Geum |
| Species: | G. geniculatum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Geum geniculatum | |
Geum geniculatum is a perennial herb growing 50 to 70 cm (20 to 28 in) tall. The three-parted leaves are 1 to 1.5 cm (0.4 to 0.6 in) long. The clustered flowers have white, pinkish, or greenish[3] petals. Flowering occurs in summer. The flowers are likely pollinated by bumblebees and honeybees.[3][2]
This may be a relict species, limited in distribution to the peaks of mountains where conditions are cool and wet enough for it to survive. It grows on moist boulder fields and streambanks.[3] It often grows in shady conditions in a thick herb layer with rhododendrons and other plants.[1]
There are only five known populations of this species. It can be locally common and is largely protected on federal and state lands, but it can be threatened by deer browse, canopy loss, and encroachment of woody vegetation.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Geum geniculatum Bent Avens". NatureServe. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Geum geniculatum Michaux, 1803. Bent avens". Flora of North America.
- ^ a b c Geum geniculatum. Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.