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Thalictrum fendleri

(Fendler Meadowrue)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Fendler Meadowrue, Fendler's Meadow-Rue, Fendler's Meadowrue

Description

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Family Ranunculaceae

Herbs perennial or annual , sometimes subshrubs or herbaceous or woody vines . Leaves basal and cauline, alternate, rarely opposite or whorled , simple or variously compound , palmately nerved, rarely penninerved , with or without stipules. Inflorescence a simple or compound monochasium, dichasium, simple or compound raceme, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual , sometimes unisexual , actinomorphic , rarely zygomorphic, hypogynous. Sepals 3--6 or more, free , petaloid or sepaloid , imbricate or sometimes valvate in bud. Petals present or absent, 2--8 or more, free, usually with nectaries. Stamens numerous , rarely few, free; filaments linear or filiform ; anthers latrorse , introrse , or extrorse ; sometimes some sterile stamens becoming staminodes. Carpels numerous or few, rarely 1, free, rarely connate to various degrees ; ovary with 1 to many ovules. Fruit follicles or achenes, rarely capsules or berries . Seeds small, with abundant endosperm and minute embryo.

About 60 genera and 2500 species: worldwide, but richly represented in N temperate regions , particularly in E Asia; 38 genera (four endemic) and 921 species (604 endemic) in China.[1]

Genus Thalictrum

Herbs, perennial , from woody rhizomes, caudices, or tuberous roots . Leaves basal and cauline, proximal leaves petiolate , distal leaves sessile; cauline leaves alternate. Leaf blade 1-4×-ternately or -pinnately compound ; leaflets cordate-reniform, obovate , lanceolate, or linear , sometimes 3-lobed or more, margins entire or crenate . Inflorescences terminal , sometimes also axillary , (1-) 2-200-flowered panicles, racemes , corymbs, umbels, or flowers solitary, to 41 cm; involucres absent or present, involucral bracts 2-3 (these compound, often resembling whorl of 6-9 simple bracts), leaflike, not closely subtending flowers. Flowers all bisexual , bisexual and unisexual on same plant, or all unisexual with sexes on same or different plants , radially symmetric ; sepals not persistent in fruit, 4-10, whitish to greenish yellow or purplish, plane , lanceolate to reniform or spatulate , 1-18 mm; petals absent; stamens 7-30; filaments filiform to clavate or distally dilated ; staminodes absent between stamens and pistils; pistils 1-16, simple; ovule 1 per pistil; style present or absent. Fruits achenes, usually aggregate, sessile or stipitate , ovoid to obovoid , falcate , or discoid , sides prominently veined or ribbed ; beak present or absent, terminal, straight to coiled , 0-4 mm. x = 7.

Species 120-200: nearly worldwide, mostly temperate .

Thalictrum is a taxonomically difficult genus that should be carefully researched through additional population-based field studies. Past treatments of Thalictrum have often emphasized leaf characters that are highly variable in most species; they are therefore of poor diagnostic value and not indicative of true relationships . Because of the paucity of field studies and a continuing emphasis on highly variable characters, the literature is replete with names that do not represent distinct entities. Often mixes of character states can be found within a single population; many of the character states used in past studies were neither ecologically nor geographically distinct.

Some species of Thalictrum have been divided into varieties by previous authors . In the absence of carefully collected, supporting evidence from field studies, we are unwilling to perpetuate the use of any infraspecific names .

Characters useful in identifying species of Thalictrum include leaflet shape, degree of dilation of filaments, anther length , shape of anther apex, achene shape and venation patterns , and vestiture (glands and/or hairs ) of leaves and achenes. Leaflets described in this treatment are the central, distalmost of a midstem leaf; proximal and distal leaves are more variable and often not representative of the species. Stigma and filament colors refer to fresh material in the following descriptions .

In Thalictrum species, the stigma extends down the side of the style, so length of style in fruit (beak) includes the stigma.

For many species no reliable characteristics for the identification of staminate material are known. Extensive field work and careful analysis are required to determine if such characteristics exist.

In a narrow strip from southeastern Ontario to Ohio to Louisiana, some individuals of some species in Thalictrum section Leucocoma may lack their normal vestiture. In the absence of glands or pubescence , the differences among species are difficult to describe. The remaining characteristics overlap considerably. The species involved may be identified in the final couplets of the key as follows: if the plant in hand falls into the area of overlap for the first character of the couplet, go on to the next character, and so forth, until a distinguishing character is found. One or more of the characters offered should distinguish the infrequent, problematic individual.

Several species of Thalictrum are used as ornamentals . At least one species, T. aquilegiifolium Linnaeus, occasionally escapes cultivation in Ontario and Quebec and possibly elsewhere. The plant is tall (40-100 cm) ; flowers bisexual, mauve to pink; and achenes few, filiform, 3-winged, stipitate, very small, and hidden at anthesis among the bases of long, rigid stamens.

Numerous alkaloids have been identified from plants of the genus, some with pharmacologic potential. Some exhibit antimicrobial activity; others inhibit growth of tumors or lower blood pressure in mammals.[2]

Physical Description

Species Thalictrum fendleri

Roots dark brown to ± black (when dry), fibrous . Stems mostly erect , sometimes reclining , (20-) 30-60(-150) cm, glabrous , from rhizomes or branched caudices. Leaves mainly cauline, mostly short-petiolate. Leaf blade green, (2-) 3-4×-ternately compound , membranous; leaflets obliquely orbiculate or nearly cordate, apically 3-lobed, (5-) 10-20 × (6-) 8-12(-18) mm wide, lobe margins crenate , surfaces abaxially often glandular . Inflorescences terminal and axillary , panicles, open and leafy, many flowered. Flowers: sepals whitish or greenish, in staminate flowers ovate to elliptic , 3-5 mm; in pistillate flowers ovate to rhombic or broadly lanceolate, 1.5-2 mm; filaments deep yellow or purplish, 4-7.5 mm; anthers 2.2-3.4 mm, apiculate with tip to 0.8 mm; stigma purplish. Achenes 7-11(-14), not reflexed , sessile to short-stipitate; stipe 0-2 mm; body oblanceolate to obliquely obovate-elliptic, strongly laterally compressed , (5-) 9(-11) mm, glandular or glabrous, 3-4(-5) -veined on each side, veins ± parallel, converging toward ends (rarely branched or sinuous ), not anastomosing-reticulate; beak 1.5-4 mm. [source]

The stems and achenes of Thalictrum fendleri are often purplish. [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: June, July, August. • Flower Color: chartreuse, yellow, yellow-green

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 18-24" tall.

Habitat

Willow, birch, mountain brush , sagebrush-snowberry, boxelder-cottonwood, alder, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, aspen-tall forb , and spruce-fir communities; 1100-3300 m [3].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,632 meters (0 to 11,916 feet).[4]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Light Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 9a, 9b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

T. fendleri var. wrightii (A. Gray) Trelease • Thalictrum fendleri var. platycarpum Trelease

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Thalictrum

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 62 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

T. actaeifolium (Baneberry-Leafed Meadow Rue) · T. alpinum (Alpine Meadow-Rue) · T. aquilegifolium (Columbine Meadow Rue) · T. aquilegifolium 'Album' (Columbine Meadow Rue) · T. aquilegifolium 'Thundercloud' (Columbine Meadow Rue) · T. aquilegiifolium 'Purpureum' (Columbine Meadow Rue) · T. aquilegiifolium 'Sparkler' (Columbine Meadow Rue) · T. arkansanum (Arkansas Meadow-Rue) · T. clavatum (Mountain Meadow-Rue) · T. cooleyi (Cooley's Meadow-Rue) · T. coreanum (China Meadow Rue) · T. coriaceum (Maid of the Mist) · T. dasycarpum (Purple Meadow-Rue) · T. debile (Southern Meadow-Rue) · T. delavayi (Chinese Meadow Rue) · T. delavayi 'Alba' (Chinese Meadow Rue) · T. delavayi 'Hewitt's Double' (Hewitt's Double Chinese Meadow Rue) · T. dioicum (Early Meadow-Rue) · T. dioicum var. coriaceum (Quicksilver-Weed) · T. dioicum var. stipitatum (Quicksilver-Weed) · T. fendleri (Fendler Meadowrue) · T. fendleri var. fendleri (Fendler Meadowrue) · T. fendleri var. polycarpum (Fendler's Meadow-Rue) · T. fendleri var. wrightii (Wright's Meadow-Rue) · T. filamentosum var. tenerum (Meadow Rue) · T. filamentosum var. tenerum 'Heronswood Form' ('heronswood Meadow Rue) · T. flavum (Common Meadow Rue) · T. flavum flavum (Yellow Meadow-Rue) · T. flavum glaucum (Meadow Rue) · T. flavum 'Illuminator' (Meadow Rue) · T. glaucum (Meadow Rue) · T. heliophilum (Cathedral Bluff Meadow-Rue) · T. hultenii (Hulten's Meadow-Rue) · T. kiusianum (Dwarf Meadow Rue) · T. lucidum (Shining Meadow Rue) · T. macrostylum (Piedmont Meadow-Rue) · T. minus (Lesser Meadow Rue) · T. minus minus (Hulten's Meadow-Rue) · T. minus 'Adiantifolium' (Lesser Meadow Rue) · T. mirabile (Little Mountain Meadow-Rue) · T. nigromontanum (Black Hills Meadow-Rue) · T. occidentale (Western Meadow-Rue) · T. occidentale var. macounii (Western Meadowrue) · T. occidentale var. occidentale (Western Meadowrue) · T. occidentalis (Meadow Rue) · T. polyganum (Tall Meadow Rue) · T. pubescens (King of the Meadow) · T. reniforme (Chinese Meadowrue) · T. reniforme 'Grandiflorum' (Chinese Meadowrue) · T. revolutum (Waxyleaf Meadow Rue) · T. rochebruneanum 'Lavender Mist' (Lavender Mist Meadow Rue) · T. rochebrunianum (Lavender Mist Meadow Rue) · T. rochebrunianum'Lavender Mist' (Lavender Mist Meadow Rue) · T. sparsiflorum (Fewflower Meadow-Rue) · T. sparsiflorum sparsiflorum (Fewflower Meadow-Rue) · T. sparsiflorum var. richardsonii (Richarson's Meadow-Rue) · T. sparsiflorum var. saximontanum (Fewflower Meadow-Rue) · T. texanum (Houston Meadow-Rue) · T. thalictroides (Anemonella) · T. venulosum (Veiny Meadow-Rue) · T. 'Black Stockings' (Meadow Rue) · T. 'Elin' (Thalictrum)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 22, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Wencai Wang, Dezhi Fu, Liang-Qian Li, Bruce Bartholomew, Anthony R. Brach, Bryan E. Dutton, Michael G. Gilbert, Yuichi Kadota, Orbélia R. Robinson, Michio Tamura, Michael J. Warnock, Guanghua Zhu & Svetlana N. Ziman "Ranunculaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 6 Page 133. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. Marilyn M. Park & Dennis Festerling Jr. "Thalictrum". in Flora of North America Vol. 3 Page 258. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. "Thalictrum fendleri". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  4. Mean = 1,440.990 meters (4,727.657 feet), Standard Deviation = 783.990 based on 451 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012