THE CREEPING AND MOUNTAIN AVENS 127 



The Creeping and Mountain Avens. 



The genus Geum (natui'al order Kosacese, the 

 Rose family) is represented by four species in the 

 Alps. Two of these are British plants chiefly confined 

 to the Alpine meadows (p. 157), The other two, 

 sometimes placed in a distinct genus, Sieversia, are 

 the Creeping Avens {Geum reptans, Linn.) and 

 the Mountain Avens {Geum montanum, Linn.), both 

 common plants on the pastures, with a preference 

 for dry soils. 



The Avens are easily mistaken for Buttercups or 

 even Anemones. In some respects the family to 

 which they belong closely resembles the Buttercup 

 family. It is distinguished by the fact that the sepals 

 are united below into a cup, on which the petals and 

 stamens are borne. If a flower is cut in half length- 

 ways with a pocket knife, this can easily be seen. In 

 the Buttercup family all the organs of the flower are 

 quite free from one another, and attached separately 

 to the receptacle. 



The Creeping Avens produce little runners like 

 those of the Strawberry or of the House-leeks (p. 

 100). These take root a few inches away from the 

 parent stem, and at this point a bud is formed, 

 which grows into a new plant. The Mountain Avens, 

 on the other hand, does not form runners. 



The leaves are compound, and all spring from a 

 short stem just above the ground. Each has a 

 large terminal leaflet, and the other leaflets become 



