Geum triflorum Pursh var. triflorum
old man's whiskers
Rosaceae (Rose family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jamie Fenneman     (Photo ID #3441)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Geum triflorum var. triflorum
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Species Information

General:
Perennial herb, soft- to coarse-hairy throughout, from a short thick rhizome and stout stem-base covered in old leaf bases; stems erect, 20-40 cm tall, tufted.
Leaves:
Basal leaves numerous, short-stalked, interruptedly pinnately divided, oblong to egg-shaped in outline, 3-15 cm long, with 9 to 19 (29) crowded, wedge-shaped segments cleft again into narrow, toothed divisions; stem leaves opposite, 2 to 4, small, usually divided into linear lobes.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open, bracted, terminal cluster of 1 to 5, usually 3, mostly nodding, stalked flowers that appear to be partially closed; corollas yellowish-white to pink or purplish, the petals 5, elliptic, erect, about as long as the calyx-bractlets; calyces urn- to cup-shaped, reddish-purple, 5-lobed, the lobes lance-triangular, erect, 8-12 mm long, alternating with 5 linear, spreading bractlets, slightly shorter to distinctly longer than the calyx-lobes; ovaries superior; stamens numerous.
Fruits:
Achenes, numerous in feathery clusters; achenes pear-shaped, erect, about 3 mm long, beaked; styles 2-5 cm long, slender, feathery-hairy except at the bent tip, bronze to purplish.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Flowers commonly 3; terminal segment of styles usually persistent; calyx-lobes lanceolate................ var. triflorum

1. Flowers commonly more than 3; terminal segment of styles usually deciduous; calyx-lobes narrowly egg-shaped ...............var. ciliatum (Pursh) Fassett

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Habitat and Range

Dry to mesic grasslands, meadows, rocky slopes and open forests in the steppe, montane and subalpine zones; common in S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, infrequent in the Peace River valley; N to YT and NT, E to NF and S to CA, NM, NE, IL and NY.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Erythrocoma triflora (Pursh) Greene
Geum ciliatum var. griseum (Greene) Kearney & Peebles
Sieversia triflora (Pursh) R. Br.