122 EOSE FAMILY. 



6. GEUM, AVENS. (From Greek word, meaning to give an agreeable 

 flavor; the roots of some species somewhat scented.) Several wild species, 

 only the following common : fi. late spring and summer. 11 



G. rivale, Purple or Water Avens. In bogs and low grounds N. : 

 thickish rootstock (sometimes used in medicine as an astringent) sending up 

 lyrately and interruptedly pinnate leaves, and rather naked several-flowered 

 stems (2° high) ; the flowers pretty large, nodding, with purplish-orange and 

 broadly obovate or obcordate petals narrowed at the base, never spreading ; in 

 fruit the head of akenes erect, stalked in the persistent calyx, the persistent 

 styles jointed and bent in the middle, the upper part plumose-hairy. 



G. vdrnum, Spring A. Thickets, from Ohio to Illinois and Kentucky : 

 slender, 2° - 3° high ; root-leaves rounded heart-shaped and 3 - 5-lobed, or some 

 of them pinnate and cut ; flowers small, with yellow petals about the length of 

 the simply 5-lobed calyx ; the head of fruit raised above the calyx on a con- 

 spicuous stalk ; the styles, &c. smooth, the upper joint falling oft". 



G. Strietura, Field A. Moist grounds and fields : a coarse herb, 3° -.5° 

 high, rather hairy, with root-leaves interruptedly pinnate and the leaflets wedge- 

 obovate, those of the stem with 3-5 narrower leaflets ; in summer bearing 

 panicled flowers with broadly obovate golden-yellow petals exceeding the calyx ; 

 stipules large, deeply cut ; head of fruit close in the calyx ; the persistent naked 

 style hooked at the end after the short upper joint falls ; receptacle downy. 



G. Virginian um, White A. Ihickets and border of woods: coarse 

 and bristly-hairy herb l°-3° high, with root and lower leaves of several pin- 

 nate leaflets, the upper 3-parted and cut ; the panicled flowers small, with incon- 

 spicuous greenish-white petals shorter than the calyx ; head of fruit like the 

 last, but its receptacle smooth. 



G. album, White A. Grows in similar places with the preceding, and 

 like it, but smooth or soft-pubescent, with root-leaves of 3 - 5 leaflets, or some 

 of them rounded and simple except a few minute leaflets below ; the petals as 

 long as the calyx, white or pale greenish-yellow ; receptacle of fruit bristly. 



7. POTENTILLA, CINQUEFOIL, FIVE-FINGER. (Name from 

 poteus, powerful, from reputed medicinal virtues, but these plants are merely 

 mild astringents.) Wild plants of the country, except those of the last 

 section, and one yellow one : but the Shrubby Citu/uefoil is also planted. 



§ 1 . Petals pale yellow, small, not surpassinrf the calyx. ® (5) 



P. Norv6gica, Norway C. An erect, hairy, weedy plant, l°-2° high, 

 branching above, with only 3 obovate-oblong and cut-toothed leaflets : fl. sum- 

 mer, in fields. 



P. paraddxa. A spreading or procumbent, pubescent, weedy plant, on 

 river-banks W., with pinnate leaves of 5 - 9 obovate-oblong cut-toothed leaflets, 

 and akenes with a thick ajipendage at their base : fl. summer. 



§2. Petals whitish or cream-color, broad, surpassing the calyx : akenes smooth. ^ 



P. argtlta. . A stout, erect, brownish-hairy, coarse plant, l°-40 high, 

 rather clammy above, on rocky hills N. & W., with pinnate leaves of 3-9 oval 

 or ovate cut-toothed leaflets soft-downy beneath, and a close terminal cluster of 

 rather large flowers, of no beauty, in summer. 



§ 3. Petals bright yellow, larger than the lobes of the calyx. ^ 

 * Leaves of 5 digitate leaflets. 



P. r6cta. Cult, in some old gardens, from Eu. : a coarse, erect, hairy 

 plant, 2° - 3° high, with sometimes 7 narrowly wedge-oblong leaflets coarsely 

 toothed, and ratiicr large cymosc flowers. 



P. Canadensis, Common Wild C. or Five-finger. Open dry ground : 

 dwarf, silky-hairy, with wedge-obovate leaflets, and axillary 1 -flowered pedun- 

 cles ; flowering from early spring to midsummer, and spreading by runners. 



Var. simplex, in moister or richer soil, usually well marked by its greater 

 size and greener foliage ; the stems l°-2° long, ascending or spreading from 

 a short tuberous rootstock ; leaflets more oblong ; flowers produced through the 

 summer. 



