avens

American  

[av-inz] / ˈæv ɪnz /

noun

plural

avens

1. any of various plants of the genus Geum, of the rose family, having yellow, white, or red flowers.

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avens British  

/ ˈævɪnz /

noun

1. any of several temperate or arctic rosaceous plants of the genus Geum, such as G. rivale ( water avens ), which has a purple calyx and orange-pink flowers See also herb bennet

2. either of two trailing evergreen white-flowered rosaceous shrubs of the genus Dryas that grow on mountains in N temperate regions and in the Arctic

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Etymology

Origin of avens

1200–50; Middle English avence < Old French < Medieval Latin avencia kind of clover

Example Sentences

Spreading avens can withstand harsh snow and ice, but the changing climate has dried the air to the point that the flowers don’t receive enough moisture.

From Washington Times

Marsh sedge grew there, pink, sweet-scented valerian and the drooping water avens.

From Literature

Across the parking lot were bluebells, cottony willow plants, white-flowered Labrador tea, mountain avens and blue forget-me-nots.

From Washington Post

Listed as threatened by the state, the White Mountain avens, native to the Presidential Range and Franconia Notch, has been put at risk by factors that include trampling by hikers and hotel development.

From Washington Times

The herbs used for jouutes are “borage, violet, mallows, parsley, young worts, beet, avens, buglos and orach”; and it is recommended to use two or three marrow bones in making the broth.

From Project Gutenberg