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early meadow-rue, veiny meadow-rue, veiny-leaf meadow-rue

Fendler's meadow-rue

Roots

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

Stems

erect, 20-50 cm, glabrous, from rhizomes.

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

Leaves

blade 3-4x-ternately compound;

leaflets obovate to orbiculate, apically 3-5-lobed, 5-20 mm, lobe margins crenate, surfaces abaxially glabrous or glandular-puberulent.

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, panicles, narrow and dense, many flowered.

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

Flowers

sepals greenish white, lanceolate or broadly ovate to elliptic or obovate, 2-4 mm;

filaments colored, not white, (1.8-)3-5.5 mm;

anthers 2-3.5 mm, blunt to mucronate;

stigma commonly yellowish.

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

5-17, erect to spreading, not reflexed, nearly sessile;

stipe 0.1-0.3 mm;

body often distinctly curved, elliptic-oblong, nearly terete to slightly flattened, adaxial surface 3-4(-6) mm, glabrous to glandular, veins distinct, not anastomosing-reticulate;

beak 1.5-2.5(-3) 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 venulosum

Thalictrum fendleri

Phenology Flowering early summer-mid summer (Jun–Aug). Flowering early-mid summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat Prairies, riparian woods, and coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests Willow, birch, mountain brush, sagebrush-snowberry, boxelder-cottonwood, alder, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, aspen-tall forb, and spruce-fir communities
Elevation 600-3700 m (2000-12100 ft) 1100-3300 m (3600-10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; TX; UT; WY; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Thalctrum venulosum is similar to T. confine and T. occidentale. Careful field studies are needed to clarify the relationships among these taxa.

(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. occidentale, T. polycarpum, T. pubescens, T. sparsiflorum, T. texanum, T. thalictroides
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. fendleri var. platycarpum, T. fendleri var. wrightii
Name authority Trelease: Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 23: 302. (1886) Engelmann ex A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, ser. 2, 4: 5. (1849)
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