Geum sp

Geum sp in bloom in a mountain garden
Geum sp

Perennial of the Rosaceae family, whose exact identity remains uncertain. The low and compact habit, the foliage with reddish to bronze reflections, and the cultivation in a pot suggest a collector's item, probably a horticultural hybrid or a mountain species cultivated in rock gardens.

The flowers, quite large for the genus, are widely open, with five very pale sulfur-yellow petals, almost creamy white, with wavy and slightly crumpled edges. The center is a bright light green, adorned with numerous stamens with dark brown anthers that form a striking contrast with the delicacy of the petals. The calyx is greenish, clearly visible between the petals.

The flowering stems are upright to slightly curved, tinged with dark red, hairy, bearing the flowers well above the foliage. The still closed buds, reddish-brown, also contrast with the brightness of the open flowers.

This very pale cream-yellow hue, rare in the genus, and this bright green center constitute the most immediately distinctive feature of this specimen, whatever its precise identity.