Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum
Largeleaf avens
(c) Thomas Gyselinck, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thomas Gyselinck · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum (Largeleaf avens) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by upright yellow flowers and glandular pedicels.
Largeleaf avens is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, southern Transverse Ranges, and Great Basin in meadows and streambanks at elevations of 1,000 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow flowers with distinctive glandular-hairy pedicels. Growing with ascending stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it develops a robust clump-forming habit. Its stem leaves are compound, deeply divided into oblanceolate to obovate segments that create an intricate, lacy green foliage. The plant's delicate yellow blossoms and finely dissected leaves make it a charming addition to mountain meadow ecosystems.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; key features are upright yellow flowers and glandular pedicels
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, streambanks
Elevation: 1000-3300 m
California counties: Fresno, Tulare, San Bernardino, Mono, Alpine, Sierra, Lassen, Mariposa, Lake, Butte, Placer, Nevada, Siskiyou, Tehama, Tuolumne, Trinity, Plumas, Shasta, Humboldt, Madera, Inyo, El Dorado
Outside California: to northern and eastern North America
Bloom period
Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Potentilla: Geum achenes bear a persistent, hooked or feathery elongating style that catches on fur; Potentilla achenes are smooth and styleless.; vs Fragaria: Geum flowers nod and the fruit is a dry head of awned achenes; Fragaria fruit swells into a fleshy red strawberry studded with surface achenes.; vs Duchesnea: Geum has cup-shaped flowers over a bracted hypanthium and a dry awned achene head; Duchesnea has solitary yellow flowers and a spongy, tasteless red mock-strawberry.; vs Drymocallis: Geum leaves have a large terminal leaflet and achenes tipped with hooked or plumose beaks; Drymocallis is glandular-sticky with beakless, smooth achenes.; vs Agrimonia: Geum bears open cup-shaped flowers and a head of naked awned achenes; Agrimonia carries flowers in a long slender spike and encloses the fruit in a bur-like hooked hypanthium.
Frequently asked questions
Is Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum native to California?
Yes. Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum bloom?
Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum grow?
Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum occurs in Fresno, Tulare, San Bernardino, Mono, Alpine, Sierra, Lassen, Mariposa and other counties, at elevations of 1000-3300 m.
What plant family does Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum belong to?
Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum is in the Rosaceae family, genus Geum.
What habitat does Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum grow in?
Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum grows in Meadows, streambanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.