''Thalictrum'' () is a genus of 120-200 species of

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native mostly to temperate regions. Meadow-rue is a common name for plants in this genus. ''Thalictrum'' is a

taxonomically In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon) and these groups are given ...

difficult genus with poorly understood species boundaries; it is in need of further taxonomic and field research for clarification. Despite their common name of "meadow-rue", ''Thalictrum'' species are not closely related to the true rue (family Rutaceae), but resemble its members in having compound leaves twice or thrice divided.

Description

Meadow-rue

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are alternate, bipinnately compound, and commonly glaucous blue-green in colour. The flowers are small and apetalous (no petals), but have numerous long

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s, 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.

Habitat and distribution

Meadow-rues are usually found in shaded or damp locations, with a sub- cosmopolitan range throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere and also south to southern Africa and tropical South America, but absent from Australasia. They are most common in temperate regions of the world; twenty-two species are found in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Ecology

Anemophily Anemophily or wind pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by wind. Almost all gymnosperms are anemophilous, as are many plants in the order Poales, including grasses, sedges, and rushes. Other common anemophilous plan ...

(wind pollination) is a characteristic of some members this genus, as seen in ''

Thalictrum fendleri ''Thalictrum fendleri'' is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name Fendler's meadow-rue. It is named in honor of Augustus Fendler. The plant is native to western North America, including much of the western ...

'' and ''

Thalictrum dioicum ''Thalictrum dioicum'', the early meadow-rue or quicksilver-weed, is a species of herbaceous plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Plants are typically upright growing woodland natives from Colorado Rocky Mountain forests to central and eastern No ...

''. Others, such as ''

Thalictrum sparsiflorum ''Thalictrum sparsiflorum'' is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name fewflower meadow-rue. It is native to northwestern North America and parts of northeastern Asia. It grows in moist habitat, such as strea ...

'', are entomophilous (pollinated by insects). ''Thalictrum'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species including the Setaceous Hebrew Character moth.

Chemical constituents

''Thalictrum'' species have been extensively studied by chemists. Typical

natural product A natural product is a natural compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical syn ...

s found in this genus are

benzylisoquinoline Substitution of the heterocycle isoquinoline at the C1 position by a benzyl group provides 1‑benzylisoquinoline, the most widely examined of the numerous benzylisoquinoline structural isomers. The 1-benzylisoquinoline moiety can be identified wi ...

alkaloids Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar st ...

such as magnoflorine, hernandezine, and the structurally related alkaloid

berberine Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids found in such plants as ''Berberis vulgaris'' (barberry), ''Berberis aristata'' (tree turmeric), ''Mahonia aquifolium'' (Oregon grape), ''Hydra ...

Selected species

* ''

Thalictrum alpinum ''Thalictrum alpinum'' is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common names alpine meadow-rue and arctic meadow-rue. It is native to Arctic and alpine regions of North America and Eurasia, including Alaska, northern C ...

'' – alpine meadow-rue * ''

Thalictrum aquilegiifolium ''Thalictrum aquilegiifolium''Integrated Taxonom ...

'' – greater meadow-rue * ''

Thalictrum chelidonii ''Thalictrum'' () is a genus of 120-200 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native mostly to temperate regions. Meadow-rue is a common name for plants in this genus. ''Thalictrum'' is a taxonom ...

'' * '' Thalictrum cooleyi'' – Cooley's meadow-rue * '' Thalictrum coreanum'' * '' Thalictrum clavatum'' - mountain meadow-rue * '' Thalictrum dasycarpum'' * ''

Thalictrum delavayi ''Thalictrum delavayi'', Chinese meadow-rue, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae native to China. Growing to tall by wide, it is a herbaceous perennial with leaves divided into many small leaflets, and panicles of lilac ...

'' – Chinese meadow-rue * ''

'' – early meadow-rue * ''

'' – Fendler's meadow-rue * '' Thalictrum filamentosum'' * ''

Thalictrum flavum ''Thalictrum flavum'', known by the common names common meadow-rue, poor man's rhubarb, and yellow meadow-rue,Peder Skou is a flowering plant species in the family Ranunculaceae. It is a native to Caucasus and Russia (Siberia). Growing to tall ...

'' – yellow or common meadow-rue * '' Thalictrum glaucum'' * '' Thalictrum heliophilum'' – cathedral meadow-rue * '' Thalictrum kiusianum'' – Kyushu meadow-rue, dwarf meadow-rue * ''

Thalictrum minus ''Thalictrum minus'', known as lesser meadow-rue, is a perennial herb in the family Ranunculaceae that is native to Europe, Northwest Africa, Yemen, Ethiopia, South Africa, Southwest Asia, and Siberia. It grows on sand dunes, shingle, coastal roc ...

'' – lesser meadow-rue * ''

Thalictrum occidentale ''Thalictrum occidentale'' is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name western meadow-rue. It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska and western Canada to northern California to Wyoming and Colora ...

'' – western meadow-rue * ''

Thalictrum pubescens ''Thalictrum pubescens'', the king of the meadow or tall meadow-rue, is a plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Description ''Thalictrum pubescens'' is a herbaceous plant with alternate, pinnately compound leaves, on hollow, green stems ...

'' * ''

Thalictrum revolutum ''Thalictrum revolutum'', commonly known as waxy meadow-rue, is a species of flowering plant in Ranunculaceae. It is native to eastern North America. It inhabits anthropogenic habitats, forests, meadows, fields, ridges or ledges and woodlands Woo ...

'' - waxyleaf meadow-rue * ''

Thalictrum rochebruneanum ''Thalictrum rochebruneanum'', called the lavender mist meadow rue, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Thalictrum'', native to the Korean Peninsula and Japan. A clumping perennial topped with a loose spray of small medium violet flowe ...

'' – lavender mist meadow-rue * ''

'' – fewflower meadow-rue * ''

Thalictrum thalictroides ''Thalictrum thalictroides'' ( syn. ''Anemonella thalictroides''), the rue-anemone, is a herbaceous perennial plant native to woodland in eastern North America. It has white or pink flowers surrounded by a whorl of leaflets, and it blooms in spr ...

'' – rue-anemone (syn. ''Anemonella thalictroides'') * ''

Thalictrum tuberosum ''Thalictrum'' () is a genus of 120-200 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native mostly to Temperate climate, temperate regions. Meadow-rue is a common name for plants in this genus. ''Thalic ...

'' * ''

Thalictrum urbainii ''Thalictrum'' () is a genus of 120-200 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native mostly to temperate regions. Meadow-rue is a common name for plants in this genus. ''Thalictrum'' is a taxonom ...

Cultivation

''Thalictrum'' species are valued as ornamental garden plants, with their sprays of flowers in delicate shades. The following cultivars, with mixed or unknown parents, have received the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

: *'Black Stockings' *'Elin' * = 'Fr21034' *'Tukker Princess'

Gallery

Thalictrum aquilegifolium, RBGE 2010, 3.jpg, ''Thalictrum aquilegifolium'' Thalictrum chelidonii03.jpg, ''Thalictrum chelidonii'' Thalictrum coreanum2.jpg, ''Thalictrum coreanum'' Thalictrum dasycarpum 1-eheep (5098007362).jpg, ''Thalictrum dasycarpum'' Thalictrum delavayi.jpg, ''Thalictrum delavayi'' flowers Thalictrum dioicum (1).jpg, Early meadow-rue (''Thalictrum dioicum'') Thalictrum filamentosum 1.jpg, ''Thalictrum filamentosum'' Thalictrum flavum1.jpg, ''Thalictrum flavum'' leaves Thalictrum glaucum0.jpg, ''Thalictrum glaucum'' flowers Thalictrum kiusianum1.jpg, ''Thalictrum kiusianum'' Thalictrumoccidentale1.jpg, Female flowers of ''Thalictrum occidentale'' Thalictrum rochebrunnianum.jpg, ''Thalictrum rochebrunnianum'' Thalictrum thalictroides - Rue Anemone.jpg, Rue-anemone (''Thalictrum thalictroides'') Thalictrum tuberosum 1.JPG, ''Thalictrum tuberosum'' Thalictrum urbainii1.jpg, ''Thalictrum urbainii''

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q157177 Ranunculaceae genera Taxa named by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort