''Geum geniculatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the

rose family Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

known by the common name bent avens. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the southern

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

in the United States, where it occurs on only three mountains:

Grandfather Mountain Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state park near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet (1,812 m), it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major ch ...

and Rich Mountain in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and Roan Mountain straddling the North Carolina-

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

border.''Geum geniculatum''.
The Nature Conservancy.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
/ref> ''Geum geniculatum'' is a perennial herb growing 50 to 70 centimeters (20-28 inches) tall. The three-parted leaves are 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4-0.6 inches) long. The clustered flowers have white, pinkish, or greenish''Geum geniculatum''.
Center for Plant Conservation. petals. Flowering occurs in July and August. The flowers are likely pollinated by

bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...

s and

honeybee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmo ...

s.Flora of North America, Geum geniculatum Michaux, 1803. Bent avens
/ref> This may be a

relict A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon. Biology A relict (or relic) is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas. Geology and geomorphology In geology, a r ...

species, limited in distribution to the peaks of three mountains where conditions are cool and wet enough for it to survive. It grows on moist boulder fields and streambanks. It often grows in shady conditions in a thick herb layer with

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

s and other plants. There are only four known populations of this species, but where it grows it may be locally abundant.

References

External links

United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5554816 geniculatum Flora of North Carolina Flora of Tennessee Plants described in 1803