Thalictrum pubescens
Thalictrum dioicum
King-of-the-meadow, late meadow-rue, meadow-weed, muskrat-weed, pigamon pubescent, tall meadow-rue
early meadow-rue, pigamon dioïque, quicksilver-weed
yellow to light brown, fibrous, from stout caudex.
erect, coarse, 50-300 cm.
erect, 30-80 cm, glabrous or glandular.
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 1-4x-ternately compound;
leaflets reniform or cordate to obovate or orbiculate, apically 3-12-lobed, 10-45 mm wide, lobe margins often crenate, surfaces abaxially glabrous or glandular.
racemes or panicles to corymbs, apically ± rounded, many flowered;
peduncles and pedicels often pubescent.
terminal and axillary, panicles to corymbs, 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 greenish to purple, ovate or obovate to oval, 1.8-4 mm;
filaments yellow to greenish yellow, 3.5-5.5 mm;
anthers 2-4 mm, mucronate to acuminate;
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.
(3-)7–13, not reflexed, sessile or nearly so;
stipe terete, 0-0.2 mm;
body ovoid to ellipsoid, not laterally compressed, 3.5-5 mm, glabrous, very strongly veined, veins not anastomosing-reticulate;
beak 1.5-3 mm.
= 126.
Thalictrum pubescens
Thalictrum dioicum
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.)
Glandular plants of Thalictrum dioicum have often been misidentified as T. revolutum despite important differences, especially the leaflets having crenate versus entire lobe margins, respectively. The stamens in both T. dioicum and T. revolutum are pendulous.
Native Americans used roots of Thalictrum dioicum in various preparations to treat diarrhea and vomiting and for heart palpitations (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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