Thalictrum pubescens |
Thalictrum debile |
|
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King-of-the-meadow, late meadow-rue, meadow-weed, muskrat-weed, pigamon pubescent, tall meadow-rue |
southern meadow-rue |
|
Roots | brownish, fusiform-tuberous with dried ribs. |
|
Stems | erect, coarse, 50-300 cm. |
reclining, branched and flexible proximally, 10-40 cm, glabrous. |
Leaves | 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 ovate or obovate to reniform or orbiculate, apically shallowly to deeply 3-7-lobed, rarely undivided, 4-15 mm wide, surfaces glabrous. |
Inflorescences | racemes or panicles to corymbs, apically ± rounded, many flowered; peduncles and pedicels often pubescent. |
terminal and axillary, panicles, elongate, few flowered. |
Flowers | 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 whitish, lanceolate to obovate, 1.5-2.7 mm; filaments colored, not white, 1.5-2 mm; anthers 1.7-2.5 mm, mucronate; stigma color unknown. |
Achenes | 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. |
1-6, not reflexed, nearly sessile; stipe 0.1-0.3 mm; body oblong to elliptic-lanceolate, not compressed, 3-3.7 × 0.7-1.2 mm, glabrous, prominently 6-8-veined, veins not anastomosing; beak 1.3-2 mm. |
2n | = 126. |
|
Thalictrum pubescens |
Thalictrum debile |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer (mid Jun-early Aug). | Flowering in early spring (Mar–Apr). |
Habitat | Full sun to deep shade, rich woods, low thickets, swamps, wet meadows, and stream banks | Rich, rocky, limestone woods, often in wet, alluvial soil |
Elevation | 15-1500 m (0-4900 ft) | 50-300 m (200-1000 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
|
AL; GA; MS |
Discussion | 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.) |
Of conservation concern. Thalictrum debile is closely related to T. arkansanum and T. texanum. The distinctions among the three species should be further studied. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Thalictrum > sect. Leucocoma | Ranunculaceae > Thalictrum > sect. Heterogamia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | T. carolinianum var. subpubescens, T. polygamum, T. polygamum var. hebecarpum, T. polygamum var. intermedium, T. polygamum var. pubescens, T. pubescens var. hebecarpum | |
Name authority | Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 388. 1814, not T. pubescens Schleicher ex de Candolle (1817) | Buckley: Amer. J. Sci. Arts 45: 175. (1843) |
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