Thalictrum pubescens
Thalictrum confine
King-of-the-meadow, late meadow-rue, meadow-weed, muskrat-weed, pigamon pubescent, tall meadow-rue
northern meadow-rue, pigamon des fronterières
erect, coarse, 50-300 cm.
erect, to 100 cm, from rhizomes.
blade ternately and pinnately decompound;
leaflets light to dark green, cordate or nearly orbiculate to ovate or obovate, apically undivided to 2-3(-5)-lobed or -toothed, 11-68 × 5-70 mm, length 0.8-2.6 times width, membranous to firm, margins scarcely revolute, lobe margins entire, surfaces abaxially pubescent to glabrous.
blade: leaflets reniform-cordate, apically 3-5-lobed, 15-50 mm wide, lobe margins crenate, surfaces glabrous to glandular.
racemes or panicles to corymbs, apically ± rounded, many flowered;
peduncles and pedicels often pubescent.
terminal, panicles, narrow with ascending branches, many flowered.
unisexual or bisexual (sometimes bisexual with very few stamens);
sepals 4(-6), white to purplish, elliptic-rounded, 2-3.5 mm;
filaments ascending, white to purplish, filiform to distinctly clavate, 1.5-7 mm, usually rigid;
anthers 0.5-1.5(-2.1) mm, usually blunt or only slightly apiculate.
sepals yellowish to purple, oblong, 1.5-5 mm;
filaments colored, not white;
anthers 3-4.5 mm, mucronate;
stigma purple.
numerous, sessile to stipitate;
stipe 0.5-1.5(-2.4) mm;
body ellipsoid, 3-5 mm, prominently veined, usually pubescent;
beak usually persistent, straight or coiled distally, 0.6-2.5 mm, about 1/2 length of achene body.
4-13, erect, incurved, not reflexed, sessile;
body fusiform to ovoid, not laterally compressed, adaxial surface 4-6 mm, glandular, veins prominent, not anastomosing-reticulate;
beak (2-)2.5-4(-5) mm.
= 126.
Thalictrum pubescens
Thalictrum confine
The ovaries change from white to purplish, becoming light green, then darker green, and finally brown as fruits mature.
Because of the polymorphic nature of Thalictrum pubescens, a proliferation of names for minor morphologic variants has resulted. Field studies (M. Park 1992) have shown that too much morphologic variation occurs within populations to support the recognition of previously described taxa. Plants in New England and northeastern Canada often have a corymbose inflorescence and longer filaments and achene beaks.
This species is often incorrectly treated in floras as T. polygamum Sprengel, an invalid name.
The Iroquois used Thalictrum pubescens medicinally a a wash for head and neck, to stop nosebleeds, and to treat gall (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The relationship between Thalictrum confine and T. venulosum is unclear and requires additional field study.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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