e-Key v3 - Geum
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Rosaceae - Rosoideae - Potentilleae - Geum L.

Description :

  • Erect, rhizomatous, perennial herbs; roots sometimes pleasantly aromatic
  • Leaves radical, imparipinnate with terminal segments usually largest; cauline leaves few, often trifoliolate or bract-like; stipules adnate to petiole
  • Inflorescence a lax, terminal, 2-12-flowered cyme
  • Flowers bisexual, erect or nodding, honeyed
  • Calyx : tube saucer-shaped, persistent, with 5 bracteoles above its base; lobes 5, imbricate or valvate in bud
  • Petals 5, circular or obovate, longer than calyx, bright yellow
  • Stamens many, perigynous, inserted with petals; anthers glabrous
  • Disc lining receptacle smooth or grooved
  • Gynoecium of many free carpels on a columnar receptacle; ovules solitary in each carpel, pendulous; style filiform, straight or bent, elongating at maturity; stigma minute, punctiform
  • Fruit a cluster of 50-250 achenes borne on a cylindrical, dry receptacle, tipped with hardened, awn-like, hooked or curled persistent styles
  • Seeds rounded; testa thin
  • x = 7 (high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

  • Geum L.
    • Linnaeus: 500 (1753)
    • Linnaeus: (1754)
    • Jussieu: 338 (1789)
    • Candolle: 550 (1825)
    • Endlicher: 1246 (1840)
    • Harvey: 289 (1862)
    • Hooker: 619 (1865)
    • Focke: 36 (1894)
    • Focke: 539 (1906)
    • Romoleroux: 52 (1996)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 40, mainly temperate and cold areas of the northern hemisphere, with a few species in the mountains of South America
  • Southern Africa : Species 1: Geum capense Thunb., in the eastern regions, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho and Eastern Cape

References:

  • CANDOLLE, A.-P. DE. 1825. Rosaceae . Prodromus 2. Treuttel & Würtz, Paris
  • ENDLICHER, S.L. 1840. Pomaceae - Rosaceae . Order AMYGDALEAE. Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita 2. Beck, Vienna
  • FOCKE, W.O. 1894. Rosaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien 3,3
  • FOCKE, W.O. 1906. Species andinae generis Geum . Botanische Jahrbücher 37
  • HARVEY, W.H. 1862. Rosaceae . Flora capensis 2
  • HOOKER, J.D. 1865. Rosaceae . In G. Bentham & J. D. Hooker, Genera plantarum 1. Lovell Reeve & Co., London
  • JUSSIEU, A.L. DE. 1789. Rosaceae , les Rosacées. Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita . Herissant & Barrois, Paris
  • LINNAEUS, C. 1753. Species plantarum , edn 1. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • LINNAEUS, C. 1754. Genera plantarum , edn 5. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • ROMOLEROUX, K. 1996. Rosaceae . Flora of Ecuador 56