''Geum macrophyllum'', commonly known as largeleaf avens or large-leaved avens
is a
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...
found from the
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada ( Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm ( Greenland), Finland, Iceland ...
south to the northern U.S. states, and in the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
and west to the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
and as far south as Northwestern
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
.
It is even more distinctive in fruit than in flower, with spiky spheres of reddish styles. The fruits are a ball of tiny
velcro
Velcro, officially known as Velcro IP Holdings LLC and trading as Velcro Companies, is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of hook-and-loop fast ...
like hooks that catch on clothing and animal hair.
Uses
The Squamish make a
diuretic
A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics in ...
tea out of the leaves.
The Haida make a steam bath with boiled roots to treat
rheumatic pain. Some tribes use the plant in eyewashes, to treat stomach ailments, and to aid childbirth.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Geum macrophyllum''''Geum macrophyllum'' — Photo gallery
macrophyllum
The long-legged bat (''Macrophyllum macrophyllum'') is a member of the Phyllostomidae family in the order Chiroptera. Both males and females of this species are generally small, with wingspans reaching 80mm with an average weight ranging betwee ...
Alpine flora
Flora of Eastern Asia
Flora of Eastern Canada
Flora of Subarctic America
Flora of the North-Central United States
Flora of the Northeastern United States
Flora of the Northwestern United States
Flora of the Russian Far East
Flora of the Southwestern United States
Flora of Western Canada
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Willdenow
Plants described in 1809
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