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.