Geum geniculatum Michaux. Common name: Bent Avens. Phenology: Late Jun-Aug; Aug-Sep. Habitat: Seeps, seepy boulderfield forests, grassy balds, cliff bases, banks of cool streams up to about 5 m wide, at high to moderate elevations. Distribution: G. geniculatum is apparently restricted (though locally fairly common in the prime habitats) to the few highest peaks in nw. NC and ne. TN: the Roan Mountain massif (Roan High Knob, Roan High Bluff, Round Bald, Jane Bald, Grassy Ridge, Little Hump Mountain, Big Yellow Mountain, and Big Hump Mountain; Avery and Mitchell counties, NC, and Carter County, TN), Grandfather Mountain (Avery, Watauga, and Caldwell counties, NC), and Rich Mountain (Watauga County, NC). Also recently discovered (August 2021) by Amanda Treher on Whitetop Moutain in Washington County, VA where it appears to naturally occur in and around seepage areas (Virginia Botanical Associates 2022). It may be found on a few other peaks, such as Snake Mountain. The distribution of this species is peculiar. While limited to the several highest and coldest mountains in the Southern Appalachians, it extends downslope on Roan Mountain and Grandfather Mountain nearly to their bases, in environmental situations that are apparently duplicated on many other Southern Appalachian peaks. Perhaps G. geniculatum was more widespread in the Southern Appalachians in the cooler, moister conditions of the post-Pleistocene, but became restricted to the few coldest peaks during the warmer, drier conditions of the Hypsithermal Interval (7000-2000 B.C.). Following climatic cooling, it was able to disperse downslope from its several refugia, but has not dispersed successfully to other peaks. G. geniculatum is most closely related to the circumboreal G. rivale, with which it shares such characteristics as purplish, non-reflexed sepals, a relatively long terminal style segment, upper pedicel with long glandular hairs, and basal style segment with long glandular hairs.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: See Shattelroe et al. (2021) for detailed discussion.
Synonymy ⓘ: = FNA9, K4, RAB, S, S13, Tn, W, Bolle (1933), Robertson (1974); = n/a — C. Basionym: Geum geniculatum Michx. 1803
Links to other floras: = Geum geniculatum - FNA9
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Heliophily ⓘ: 5
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© Alan Cressler: Geum geniculatum, Grassy Ridge Bald, Pisgah National Forest, Avery County, North Carolina 6 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Weakley source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Geum geniculatum, Grassy Ridge Bald, Pisgah National Forest, Avery County, North Carolina 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Geum geniculatum, Grassy Ridge Bald, Pisgah National Forest, Avery County, North Carolina 3 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Geum geniculatum, Grassy Ridge Bald, Pisgah National Forest, Avery County, North Carolina 5 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect-ascending perennial apparently restricted to the few highest peaks of nw. NC and ne. TN and found in seeps, seepy boulderfield forests, grassy balds, cliff bases and banks of cool streams.
Stems: Stems hairy, especially in upper half.
Leaves: Basal leaves petiolate, pinnately divided into 3-5 major leaflets mixed with 2-5 minor ones, the terminal leaflet largest; stem leaves smaller, sessile-subsessile, divided into 3 leaflets or with 3 lobes, with deeply lobed stipules at the base.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers 5-15 on densely hairy stalks in branching, terminal cluster; nodding; creamy white to pinkish. Each flower consists of 5 erect, oblong-oval petals with blunt-rounded tips; 5 erect-spreading, hairy, greenish-maroon lance-shaped sepals nearly equal in length to the petals; and a cone-shaped compound ovary with kinked styles.
Fruits: Fruit a bristly head of achenes.
Comments: Bent avens has a very restricted range, being found only in the Southern Appalachians in western North Carolina and Tennessee. In order to see this plant in the wild, you would need to go to either Grandfather Mountain or to one of several mountains within the Roan Mountain Massif. Though not much is known about bent avens, it is speculated that past climate changes are the reason for its limited distribution. A warming/drying period may have made all but the highest, wettest mountains inhospitable to the plants. As a result, all known populations are found on moist, cool sites above 4,000 feet in elevation. Due to the very specific requirements of this plant, the biggest threats to its survival are the inevitable loss of habitat and disruption of hydrology that will come with human development in the mountains.
Height: 1 1/2-2 1/2 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect-ascending perennial apparently restricted to the few highest peaks of nw. NC and ne. TN and found in seeps, seepy boulderfield forests, grassy balds, cliff bases and banks of cool streams.
stems: Stems hairy, especially in upper half.
leaves: Basal leaves petiolate, pinnately divided into 3-5 major leaflets mixed with 2-5 minor ones, the terminal leaflet largest; stem leaves smaller, sessile-subsessile, divided into 3 leaflets or with 3 lobes, with deeply lobed stipules at the base.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers 5-15 on densely hairy stalks in branching, terminal cluster; nodding; creamy white to pinkish. Each flower consists of 5 erect, oblong-oval petals with blunt-rounded tips; 5 erect-spreading, hairy, greenish-maroon lance-shaped sepals nearly equal in length to the petals; and a cone-shaped compound ovary with kinked styles.
fruits: Fruit a bristly head of achenes.
comments: Bent avens has a very restricted range, being found only in the Southern Appalachians in western North Carolina and Tennessee. In order to see this plant in the wild, you would need to go to either Grandfather Mountain or to one of several mountains within the Roan Mountain Massif. Though not much is known about bent avens, it is speculated that past climate changes are the reason for its limited distribution. A warming/drying period may have made all but the highest, wettest mountains inhospitable to the plants. As a result, all known populations are found on moist, cool sites above 4,000 feet in elevation. Due to the very specific requirements of this plant, the biggest threats to its survival are the inevitable loss of habitat and disruption of hydrology that will come with human development in the mountains.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: western NC & eastern TN
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