Rough Avens

Rough Avens
Rough Avens. Geum laciniatum.
Rosaceae, the rose family.

Description:
Plant: Erect, very hairy, rather coarse, branching plant, 1'-3' high, with small, white flowers. Perennial.
Flowers: White, about 1/2", with five small petals, five pointed sepals longer and broader than the petals, and many stamens. The flowers form a very sparse, leafy cluster.
Leaves: Alternate, coarse, highly variable. Lower leaves have three or more parts and are petioled, with the the divisions themselves deeply incised or lobed. Upper leaves grade towards ovate and sessile.
Fruit: A globular cluster of dry seeds bearing long, stiff, hooked or looped bristles. The form is characteristic for Geum.
Blooming: June - July
Habitat: Meadows, thickets, roadsides.

Comments: Distinguished from White Avens (G. canadense), another white-flowered species by smaller flower petals, hairy stems, larger fruit, more highly divided leaves, and overall coarser habit. The species also has a much shorter flowering period, with plants blooming for just a few weeks. Plants of G. canadense, bloom over a more extended period.

Where to find it: Rather uncommon in the park, at least in 2009. Found one plant on the pond shoreline near the lodge, and a second in the slough along the entry road.