6 GEUM TRIFLORUM. THREE-FLOWERED AVENS. 



shown in our drawing. But Willdenow divided the genus, and 

 made part into Sieversia, in honor of M. Sievers, a Russian 

 botanist, and into this division our plant was placed. The 

 Gcuins of Willdenow had hooked and naked permanent styles 

 to the seeds, while the Sicvcrsias have feathery, down-like styles, 

 similar to Clematis. Modern botanists, however, rank them all 



as Geiim. 



As will be seen by our plate, the subject of this chapter 

 belono-s to the Sievers ia section. In old works it is known as 

 S. triflora. Its feathery awns afford an interesting study. In 

 the other section of Gciun, the style is pointed, and, when the 

 ovules are fertilized, falls away. In this section, the styles have 

 not this articulation ; and thus, after fertilization, they continue 

 to grow, and eventually become the pretty, feathery heads we 

 find them. The laws which regulate these differences are still 

 obscure, and the subject offers an inviting field of study to those 

 who love to pry into the mysteries of plant-life. We may note 

 that, in a general way, the law which decides these peculiarities 

 generally influences, in some manner more or less similar, all 

 related parts. For instance, in the section of Gemn with pointed 

 styles, we find, as the seeds or carpels grow, the remains become 

 curved, and give a hooked character to the seeds ; and in these 

 cases the sepals or calyx leaves are inclined to recurve or 

 become reflexed also. In our plant, the awns grow erect, there 

 is no recurving tendency, and the sepals and petals follow the 

 same course. This is, perhaps, to be expected as the result of 

 morphological law. If, as we must believe, the calyx, corolla, 

 stamens, and pistils are but the leaves of the plant successively 

 changed into these organs, the unity of the law, as affecting 

 behavior, may be at once suspected. Even when appearances 

 are against this proposition, we may often find that, though 

 seemingly divergent, they are essentially the same. 



The chief beauty of the " Three-flowered Avens " is in the rosy 

 red parts of the inflorescence, which gradually deepens up from 

 the green-feathered foliage. The long, slender, involucral Ijracts 



