Thalictrum

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Ranunculaceae >

Thalictrum >

Thalictrum is a genus of 120-200 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. The common name is meadow-rue. They are not related to the rues (family Rutaceae).

They are perennial herbaceous plants, growing to 0.5-2.5 m tall depending on the species. They are usually found in shaded or damp locations.

The leaves are alternate, bipinnately compound, commonly glaucous blue-green in colour.

The flowers are small and apetalous (no petals), but have numerous long stamens, often brightly white, yellow, pink or pale purple, and are produced in conspicuous dense inflorescences. In some species (e.g. T. chelidonii, T. tuberosum), the sepals are large, brightly coloured and petal-like, but in most they are small and fall when the flower opens or soon after.

Read about Thalictrum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Thalictrum (ancient name of doubtful origin; perhaps ultimately from Greek thallo, to grow green). Ranunculaceae. Meadow Rue. Interesting plants for the herbaceous border and wild-garden, with fern-like foliage and small flowers in panicles or terminal clusters. Erect perennial herbs: lvs. ternately compound and decompound: st.-lvs. alternate: fls. dioecious, polygamous, or perfect in some species, rather small, generally greenish white or sometimes purple or yellow, borne in a panicle or loose raceme; sepals 4 or 5, deciduous; petals wanting; stamens many, showy: carpels usually few, 1-seeded. About 80-90 species are now known, widely distributed in temperate regions, a few in the tropics. Many thalictrums are very hardy, and only the more southern forms of those given below are at all tender. These plants are valued for their feathery heads of flowers, contrasting with their handsome stems and leaves, which are often of a purple cast. They are neat and attractive subjects, often conspicuous in the wild but not so much planted as they deserve. The spring-flowering species are mostly inhabitants of woods and groves, and the summer-flowering of low open grounds and swales, but they do well under garden conditions. The early ones are small and delicate plants, and the late ones are tall and often commanding. The tassel-like staminate inflorescence of some species is very attractive. Thalictrums may be propagated by seed, or by division of roots in early spring just as growth begins. The division of the roots is more popular than the seed method, as it produces strong plants much earlier. Seed is scarce in some species. Any good loamy soil will suit them, if well drained. For T. anemonoides, see Syndesmon.—T. orientale, Boiss. Low perennial, st. 1/2 ft. high, flexuose, plant surculose (emitting runners): lvs. triternate; segms. roundish, very obtuse, somewhat 3-lobed: panicle few-fld.; sepals petal-like and persistent, obovate, white, surpassing the stamens: filaments linear: carpels 3-6, linear-oblong, deeply striate, 1/4 in. long. Asia Minor. Fls. like those of Syndesmon. The plant listed under this name is said to grow 3 ft. high and to have elegant much-divided fern-like glaucous-green lvs. and branching clusters of white fls.—T. paniculatum, Hort., is described as a dwarf (1 ft.) with yellow fls. It probably is not T. paniculatum, Bess.—T. paniculatum, Bess., differs from T. minus in the lfts. being trifid from the ovate base, in the very open panicle and the reddish lf.-segms.: habitat doubtful.—T. praestans, Hort., listed abroad, is said to be a graceful plant 4-5 ft. high, with yellow and mauve fls.—T. sulfureum, Hort., is a hybrid. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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Species

Selected species^wp

• Thalictrum alpinum Alpine Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum aquilegifolium Greater Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum calabricum
• Thalictrum chelidonii
• Thalictrum clavatum Mountain Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum cooleyi Cooley's Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum delavayi Chinese Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum diffusiflorum
• Thalictrum dioicum Early Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum dipterocarpum
• Thalictrum fendleri Fendler's Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum flavum Yellow Meadow-rue or Common Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum foeniculaceum
  

  Thalictrum glaucum flowers
• Thalictrum foetidum
• Thalictrum glaucum
• Thalictrum ichangense
• Thalictrum javanicum
• Thalictrum kiusianum
• Thalictrum lucidum
• Thalictrum macrostylum Piedmont Meadow-rue or Small-leaved Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum minus Lesser Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum morrisonii
• Thalictrum occidentalis Western Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum orientale
• Thalictrum reniforme
• Thalictrum petaloideum
• Thalictrum polygamum Tall Meadow rue (syn. T. pubescens)
• Thalictrum revolutum Waxyleaf Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum rochebrunianum
• Thalictrum simplex Small Meadow-rue
• Thalictrum thalictroides Rue-anemone (syn. Anemonella thalictroides)
• Thalictrum tubersosum Meadow-rue

Thalictrum is a taxonomically difficult genus with poorly understood species boundaries; it is in need of further taxonomic and field research for clarification.

Gallery

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  Thalictrum flavum leaves

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Thalictrum. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
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