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western meadow-rue

Fendler's meadow-rue

Roots

yellow to medium brown or black, thin, fibrous.

dark brown to ± black (when dry), fibrous.

Stems

erect, 30-100(-120) dm, glabrous, often from well-developed rhizomes.

mostly erect, sometimes reclining, (20-)30-60(-150) cm, glabrous, from rhizomes or branched caudices.

Leaves

blade 3-4x-ternately compound;

leaflets orbiculate to obovate-cuneate or cordate, apically 3-lobed, 10-30 mm wide, lobe margins coarsely crenate, surfaces glabrous to glandular.

blade green, (2-)3-4x-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 (some flowers in axils of distal leaves), panicles, rather open, many flowered.

terminal and axillary, panicles, open and leafy, many flowered.

Flowers

sepals whitish or greenish or purplish tinged, ovate, 3.5-4.4 mm in staminate flowers, 1.5-2 mm in pistillate flowers;

filaments purplish, 4-10 mm;

anthers 1.5-4 mm, long-apiculate;

stigma often purplish.

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

6-9, spreading to reflexed, short-stipitate;

stipe 0.4-1.2 mm;

body fusiform, not laterally compressed, (4-)6-9(-10) mm, tapering at both ends, glandular, strongly 3-veined on each side, veins not anastomosing;

beak 3-4.5(-6) mm.

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.

Thalictrum occidentale

Thalictrum fendleri

Phenology Flowering early summer-mid summer (Jun–Aug). Flowering early-mid summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat Open woods, meadows, and copses Willow, birch, mountain brush, sagebrush-snowberry, boxelder-cottonwood, alder, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, aspen-tall forb, and spruce-fir communities
Elevation 200-3400 m (700-11200 ft) 1100-3300 m (3600-10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK; YT
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; TX; UT; WY; n Mexico
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Thalictrum occidentale is similar to T. confine and T. venulosum; thorough field studies are needed to determine whether or not they should be maintained as separate species. Thalictrum occidentale can usually be distinguished by its reflexed achenes.

Plants of northern British Columbia, sometimes called Thalictrum occidentale var. breitungii (B. Boivin) Brayshaw, appear to be intermediate between T. occidentale and T. venulosum (T. C. Brayshaw, pers. comm.); achenes are ascending, ± compressed, and beaks rather short (2-4 mm) (T. C. Brayshaw 1989).

Some of the Native Americans used Thalictrum occidentale medicinally for headaches, eye trouble, and sore legs, to loosen phlem, and to improve blood circulation (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The stems and achenes of Thalictrum fendleri are often purplish.

Decoctions prepared from the roots of Thalictrum fendleri were used medicinally by Native Americans to cure colds and gonorrhea, and in ceremonies (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Thalictrum > sect. Heterogamia Ranunculaceae > Thalictrum > sect. Heterogamia
Sibling taxa
T. alpinum, T. amphibolum, T. arkansanum, T. clavatum, T. confine, T. cooleyi, T. coriaceum, T. dasycarpum, T. debile, T. dioicum, T. fendleri, T. heliophilum, T. macrostylum, T. minus, T. mirabile, T. polycarpum, T. pubescens, T. sparsiflorum, T. texanum, T. thalictroides, T. venulosum
T. alpinum, T. amphibolum, T. arkansanum, T. clavatum, T. confine, T. cooleyi, T. coriaceum, T. dasycarpum, T. debile, T. dioicum, T. heliophilum, T. macrostylum, T. minus, T. mirabile, T. occidentale, T. polycarpum, T. pubescens, T. sparsiflorum, T. texanum, T. thalictroides, T. venulosum
Synonyms T. occidentale var. macounii, T. occidentale var. palousense T. fendleri var. platycarpum, T. fendleri var. wrightii
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 372. (1873) Engelmann ex A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, ser. 2, 4: 5. (1849)
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