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avens

 
(ăv'ənz) pronunciation
n., pl., avens.
  1. Any of various perennial herbs of the genus Geum in the rose family, having often pinnate basal leaves and variously colored flowers with many pistils.
  2. The mountain avens.

[Middle English avence, from Old French, from Medieval Latin avencia.]


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Any of the low-growing, perennial flowering plants (approximately 50 species) of the genus Geum, in the rose family. Most occur in the northern or southern temperate zones or in the Arctic. Several species are cultivated for their solitary or clustered white, red, orange, or yellow flowers. The plants grow no more than 2 ft (60 cm) tall. Most of the compound, deeply lobed or cut leaves arise from the base of the stem.

For more information on avens, visit Britannica.com.

Geum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Rosoideae
Genus: Geum
L.
Species

About 50; see text

Synonyms
  • Acomastylis Greene
  • Coluria R.Br.
  • Erythrocoma Greene
  • Neosieversia (incorrect spelling of Novosieversia)
  • Novosieversia F.Bolle
  • Oncostylus (Schltdl.) F.Bolle
  • Oreogeum (Ser.) E.I.Golubk.
  • Orthurus Juz.
  • Parageum Nakai & H.Hara
  • Sieversia Willd.
  • Stylypus Raf.
  • Taihangia T.T.Yu & C.L.Li
  • Waldsteinia Willd.

Geum /ˈəm/,[1] commonly called avens, is a genus of about 50 species of perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family Rosaceae, native to Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and New Zealand. They are closely related to Potentilla and Fragaria.

Geum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Grizzled Skipper.

Species

For a more detailed list see List of Geum species.

References

  1. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607

External links

Geum 'Beech House'



 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Rhymes. Oxford University Press. © 2006, 2007 All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Geum Read more

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