5. Geum virginianum L. (pale avens)

G. hirsutum Muhl. ex Link

Pl. 532 f–h; Map 2452

Stems 30–90(–120) cm long, the lower portion moderately to densely pubescent with spreading to somewhat downward-pointing hairs, grading upward into dense pubescence of minute velvety hairs and sometimes also sparse, longer, spreading hairs. Basal leaves simple or less commonly pinnately compound with 3–5 primary leaflets, long-petiolate, those of the stems mostly ternately compound or deeply lobed with progressively shorter petioles, the uppermost simple and nearly sessile. Stipules 7–28 mm long, oblong-ovate, often with few to several jagged lobes. Primary leaflets 2.5–12.0 cm long, broadly ovate to rhombic or lanceolate-elliptic, often shallowly to deeply 3-lobed, the surfaces sparsely to moderately hairy. Inflorescence branches relatively straight, the tips not drooping. Flower stalks densely pubescent with minute velvety hairs, usually also with sparse, longer, spreading hairs. Receptacle densely bristly-hairy. Sepals 3.5–5.0 mm long, lanceolate-triangular, alternating with shorter narrower bractlets. Petals 2–4 mm long, noticeably shorter than the sepals, cream-colored to lemon yellow. Apical segment of style 1–2 mm long, sparsely to moderately pubescent with short bristly hairs toward the base. Cluster of fruits 10–15 mm in diameter, sessile or nearly so, not evidently raised above the calyx. Fruits with the main body 2–3 mm long, flattened but without thickened angles, sparsely to moderately bristly-hairy, the persistent stylar beak 4–7 mm long, glabrous or sparsely hairy toward the base. 2n=42. May–August.

Uncommon and widely scattered in the southern half of the state (eastern U.S. and adjacent Canada west to Minnesota, Missouri, and Alabama). Mesic to dry upland forests and banks of streams, often in disturbed areas.

Specimens of G. canadense have sometimes been misdetermined as G. virginianum, probably because of confusion surrounding petal colors: those of the former are white when the flower opens, but tend to fade to cream-colored with age; those of the latter are cream-colored to lemon yellow from the start. Other characters that help to separate the two species include the petal length relative to the sepal length and the dense long, spreading hairs on the lower stems and petioles of G. virginianum (vs. glabrous to sparsely hairy in G. canadense). Geum virginianum also tends to have stipules and leaves with more lobes and the terminal leaflets more noticeably larger than the lateral ones, but these characters are fairly variable in both species.

See the treatment of G. laciniatum for mention of the earlier nomenclatural confusion between this species and G. virginianum. Geum virginianum was first reported (with a question mark) for Missouri by Rydberg (1908–1918, as G. hirsutum), based on a 1905 specimen from Barry County accessioned at the Missouri Botanical Garden, but, in spite of this, the species was not mentioned by Steyermark (1963). Solecki (1983) first confirmed its presence in the Missouri flora.