Geum Coccineum

''Geum coccineum'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Geum'', in the rose family Rosaceae. Native to the mountains of the Balkans and northern Turkey, it is also grown ornamentally for its bright red flowers.

Nomenclature

In horticulture, it is also referred to as ''Geum borisii'', but in the botanical literature following J. Kellerer & Sünd. this name is only used for the hybrid ''Geum bulgaricum × montanum''. The name ''Geum coccineum'' is itself used in the gardening literature for another related plant: ''Geum chiloense'' .

Description

''Geum coccineum'' is herbaceous and perennial, growing to a height of 10–45cm. It blooms, with orange-red flowers, from May to August.

The species is hexaploid (with 2n=42), having six sets of chromosomes.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is found on wet, marshy meadows and along streams., . Damp forests also mentioned in .

Within Turkey, the plant is found at elevations of 1200–2400m in a number of localities in the Pontic Mountains (including Karagöl in the province of Gümüşhane, Zigana in Trabzon, and Cimil in Rize), in the Erzurum area, in the Ilgaz Mountains of Kastamonu Province, in Kütahya, and Uludağ (Bithynian Olympus) in the province of Bursa.

''Geum coccineum'' grows in the mountains of Bulgaria (at elevations of 900–2300m in the western and central Balkan Mountains, on Vitosha, Verila, Sredna Gora, Osogovo, Rila, Pirin, Slavyanka, and the western and central Rhodopes), Serbia (the Balkan Mountains), North Macedonia, and central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is also present in the Accursed Mountains of Albania and Montenegro, This only mentions Montenegro (Bogićevica + central and north-eastern Prokletije). Even though such a delimitation strongly suggests presence in Kosovo, this is not mentioned in . From ''Atlas Florae Europaeae'' it is not clear if Kosovo is to be included, but the Albanian side of Prokletije falls visibly within the plant's native range. in the mountains of eastern Albania, and northern Greece (at 1300–2000m in northern Pindus and mountains of Greek Macedonia: Varnous, Vitsi, Pieria, Vermio, Piperitsa, Kajmakčalan and Tzena).

It is grown decoratively (with several cultivars), and as a garden escapee it has become naturalised in isolated areas of Slovenia and Saxony.

References

{{taxonbar , from=Q159989
coccineum
Plants described in 1809