cxxv.— THE WATER AVENS. 
Geum rivale Linne. 
HE Water Avens {Geum rivale Linne) is a less common, but far more attractive, 
plant than Geum urhanum. Geographically it has, it is true, a wider range, 
existing in South America and in Australasia, where the more abundant species is 
unknown. It is more common in the North, and it extends to higher altitudes by 
the sides of Highland streams ; but, though locally abundant, it is less generally 
distributed within the limits of the countries in which it occurs. Though not 
apparently very particular as to soil, being found on rich alluvial loams, on siliceous 
and on calcareous sub-soils, the fact that it is more frequent by running water than in 
stagnant marsh ground suggests that it prefers neutral soil-water to any that is acid. 
It seems certainly to prefer shade, since not only does it grow commonly by streams 
passing through copses, but when, with Forget-me-not and Golden Saxifrages, it 
follows the rivulet out into the open it is commonly overtopped by taller plants, 
by the big leaves of Caliha palusiris, by Meadow-sweet, Hemp Agrimony, Valerian, 
Yellow Meadow-rue, or Globe-flower. 
Its larger, blackish, woody, deep-growing rhizome shares the aromatic 
astringency of the other species {G. tirbanum), so that, like it, it has been employed 
as a preservative flavouring for beer, and is said to be valued in North America as a 
tonic and febrifuge. The aerial stem seldom exceeds a foot in height and is but 
little branched : its lower portion bears soft reflexed hairs ; while above it is more 
densely covered with a shorter pubescence. 
The radical leaves are stalked and lyrately Interruptedly pinnate, the very 
large terminal leaflet being rounded, lobed, and sharply crenate. The stem leaves 
are few in number, stalked and ternate, with small ovate toothed stipules, which 
are often tinged with red. In texture the leaves are thinner and softer than 
those of G. urhanum. 
As the flower-bud expands, during the summer months, it bends gracefully 
downwards, thus protecting its pollen and honey from the rain ; whilst, as the fruit 
forms, the peduncle resumes its erect position. The richly-coloured, long-pointed, 
brownish-red, downy sepals spread widely in their broad, flat basal cup and then 
grow upward to the extreme level of the tops of the petals ; and at a later stage 
embrace the fruit. Wellnigh indescribable is the colouring of the broad, obcordate 
petals. Opening a pale green, they flush with pink and then become, as it were, 
tanned with a tawny yellow-brown with strongly marked darker reddish veins. The 
erect position of these petals and the stamens crowded round the honey-secreting 
ring probably restrict the honey to rather long-tongued insects ; and, as the anthers 
are seldom mature until after the stigmas, cross-pollination is probably the rule. 
The head of achenes is raised on an axis or carpophore almost as long as the 
sepals. The achenes themselves and the bases of the styles are hairy : higher up. 
