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Geum triflorum Pursh

Prairie smoke, purple avens, old man’s whiskers, long-plumed purple avens

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderRosalesRose family and eight others
FamilyRosaceaeIncludes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others
GenusGeumAn ancient Latin name used by Pliny for this group
Speciestriflorum“Three-flowered”

About plant names...

Prairie smoke, so named for its seed heads' resemblance to puffs of pink smoke, is a North American native. It is a member of the rose family.

Identification: Plants are 6-18″ (15-45 cm) high × 1½′ (45 cm) wide. Most of the leaves on this plant are near the base. They are small, hairy, and deeply lobed. Flowers are dark red, bell-shaped, hanging downward, in groups of three, ½-¾″ (1.3-1.9 cm) each in size. It is the seed heads that are especially unique in appearance, consisting of red or purplish threads surrounded by soft feathery hairs.

Geum triflorum (prairie smoke, purple avens, old man’s whiskers, long-plumed purple avens)

Prairie smoke flower. By StarbuckGuy@flickr.

Online References:

Nature North Zine

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Missouri Botanical Garden

 

Geum triflorum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

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Geum triflorum (prairie smoke, purple avens, old man’s whiskers, long-plumed purple avens)

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

Geum triflorum (prairie smoke, purple avens, old man’s whiskers, long-plumed purple avens)

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 23 cm) ID is uncertain

Range: Zones 3-7:

About this map...