Thalictrum

Scientific name

Thalictrum L.

Common names

meadowrue

Family

Ranunculaceae

Native distribution

temperatetemperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
North America, Eurasia, Africa

Species cultivated

(seven species plus cultivated varieties)

Thalictum alpinum L.

T. dasycarpum Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Av&e acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
;-Lall.

T. delavayi Franch.

T. dioicum L.

T. flavum L.

T. polycarpum (Torr.) S. Watson

T. pubescens Pursh

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
, creeping to ascending herb

Brief description

Usually erect, but shade-grown plants lax to sprawling. Rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
; stem slender, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
. Leaves basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
and caulinecauline:
(adj) pertaining to or belonging to the stem
, al ternateternate:
(adj) in threes
; petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
, becoming sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
toward stem apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
1-4-pinnate, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
. Leaflets stalked; leafletleaflet:
(n) one of the leaf-like units of a compound leaf
blade lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
, ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
to oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
obtuseobtuse:
(adj) with a blunt or rounded apex and sides coming together at an angle of more than 90 degrees
to acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
; base round to ± attenuateattenuate:
(adj) narrowing gradually to a point
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
revolute, entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
to lobedlobed:
(adj) divided into (usually rounded) segments
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
or terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
few-flowered racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
or paniclepanicle:
(n) an indeterminate, branched (often much-branched) inflorescence; the ultimate units may be of a different inflorescence type
; pedunculatepedunculate:
(adj) borne on or possessing a peduncle
; dioeciousdioecious:
(adj) having separate male and female flowers on different individuals of the same species
; pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
. Male flowers: sepals 4-5, obovateobovate:
(adj) ovate, with the narrow end at the base
, pale yellow to white; petals absent; stamens numerous, filaments flat or thread-like. Female flowers: sepals 4-5, obovateobovate:
(adj) ovate, with the narrow end at the base
, greenish; petals absent; pistils 1-22.

Natural habitat

moist to wet areas, wetlands, bogs, wet savannas; also along disturbed sites such as roadsides and powerlines

Additional comments

Thalictrum contains over 150 species, most of which are terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
, though some are wetland species. These are cultivated as garden ornamentals or marginal pond plants.