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Linnaeus named this genus in 1753. "Thalictrum" is of ancient and unknown Greek origin. |
Thalictrum fendleri
variety fendleri (Fendler's Meadowrue) Foothills, montane, subalpine.
Woodlands, meadows. Spring. Meadowrue is delicate, very common, and often unnoticed. It grows to two or three feet tall and frequently appears in large dappled patches in forests and meadows. The delicately scalloped leaves of Meadowrue are similar to the leaves of Columbine but are considerably smaller (see below). The leaves have a distinct pleasant smell when crushed. As explained below, Thalictrum fendleri is dioecious and the second and third photographs above show the male and female flowers found on separate plants. Pollen grains from a nearby male plant dot the female plant shown in the photograph immediately above. Thalictrum fendleri has a cousin, Thalictrum alpinum, which differs in three major ways: George Engelmann named this species in 1849, probably from a specimen collected by the renowned collector, Augustus Fendler, near Santa Fe in 1846. (More biographical information about Fendler.) Weber places Thalictrum in Thalictraceae, not Ranunculaceae. |
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Thalictrum fendleri variety fendleri (Fendler's Meadowrue) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family). Foothills, montane, subalpine.
Woodlands, meadows. Spring. Meadow Rue's leaves delicately unfold in swirls from a small orb. | |
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Thalictrum fendleri variety fendleri (Fendler's Meadowrue) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family). Foothills, montane, subalpine.
Woodlands, meadows. Spring. Meadow Rue is dioecious (Greek for "two houses), i.e., Meadow Rue has male flowers separate from female flowers and, in the case of Meadow Rue, they are also on separate plants. The male flowers lack petals and thus attract little attention, but a close look at the flowers reveals very unusual, attractive tassel-like stamens giving the plant a festive atmosphere. |
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Thalictrum fendleri variety fendleri (Fendler's Meadowrue) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family). Foothills, montane, subalpine.
Woodlands, meadows. Spring. As stamens fade brown, they contrast with the white sepals. |
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Thalictrum fendleri variety fendleri (Fendler's Meadowrue) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family). Foothills, montane, subalpine.
Woodlands, meadows. Spring. Female plants: Meadowrue styles can have just a tinge of, or considerable, pink. Styles are brown and hardened on the seed pods. | |
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Thalictrum fendleri variety fendleri (Fendler's Meadowrue) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family). Foothills, montane, subalpine.
Woodlands, meadows. Spring. In the top photograph at left, the larger leaves to the right of center are those of Columbine; the smaller leaves at left are those of Meadowrue. They are very similar and fool us often -- as the second photograph at left indicates. | |
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Thalictrum fendleri variety fendleri (Fendler's Meadowrue) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family). Foothills, montane, subalpine.
Woodlands, meadows. Spring. Fall colors are typical of mountain flora: yellow, yellow, yellow. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Thalictrum fendleri |