Herbs, perennial, scapose, often mat-forming, 1–4 dm, strigose; rhizomatous. Stems 1–20+, ± erect. Leaves deciduous, basal, sometimes clustered around scape, simple or compound; stipules adnate to petiole base, narrow, scarious, margins entire; petiole present; blade ± rounded, deeply cordate, ternate or 3–5(–7)-lobed, 3–5 cm, herbaceous, margins flat, when lobes usually shallow, dentate, often with large teeth distally, venation palmate, surfaces strigose or hirsute. Inflorescences terminal, 3–8-flowered, panicles, open, ± as long as petioles, elongating somewhat in fruit; bracts present; bracteoles absent. Pedicels present. Flowers 8–20 mm diam.; epicalyx bractlets 0 [5, minute]; hypanthium broadly obconic to obcampanulate, slightly contracted at mouth, 2–4 mm, strigose or glabrous; sepals 5, spreading, triangular; petals 5, yellow, obovate to elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, or suborbiculate; stamens 50–70, ± equal to petals, filaments persistent; torus not evident, receptacle base villous; carpels 3–7, short-villous; ovule 1. Fruits aggregated achenes, 3–7, broadly crescent-shaped, 1.5–2.5 mm, short-villous; hypanthium persistent; sepals persistent, ± reflexed; styles deciduous, not hooked. x = 7.

Distribution

North America, Eurasia, temperate regions.

Discussion

Species 6 or 7 (4 in the flora).

Plants of Waldsteinia are distinctive, small, rhizomatous, and often mat-forming herbs of woodlands with ternate or three- to five-lobed leaves, differing from Geum by their long, straight, deciduous styles. J. E. E. Smedmark (2006) showed that the type species of Waldsteinia is nested in Geum.

Selected References

Teppner, H. 1968. Zur Kenntniss der Gattung Waldsteinia. Graz.

Lower Taxa

Waldsteinia fragarioides, Waldsteinia idahoensis, Waldsteinia lobata, Waldsteinia parviflora

Key

1	Leaves mostly ternately compound, rarely merely deeply lobed	> 2
1	Leaves 3–5(–7)-lobed, shallowly so or to ± 2/3 cleft	> 3
2	Petals obovate to broadly elliptic, 3.5–10 mm, much longer than sepals.	Waldsteinia fragarioides
2	Petals elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5–4.5 mm, shorter than to barely exceeding sepals.	Waldsteinia parviflora
3	Flowers 8–10 mm diam.; petals narrowly elliptic, barely exceeding sepals, bright yellow.	Waldsteinia lobata
3	Flowers 15–18 mm diam.; petals broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, much longer than sepals, creamy yellow.	Waldsteinia idahoensis