purple meadow-rue

(Thalictrum dasycarpum)

Conservation Status
purple meadow-rue
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5? - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Purple meadow-rue is a 3 to 5 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises from a caudex. Staminate flowers (male) and pistillate flowers (female) are borne on separate plants.

Stems are erect, hairless, and often branched in the upper half. They are green when young becoming purple with maturity.

Basal and lower stem leaves are on leaf stalks, middle and upper leaves are stalkless or nearly stalkless. Stem leaves are alternate. They are 3 to 5 times ternate—divided into 3 main divisions (ternate), each division further divided into 3 segments (biternate), each segment further divided into 3 leaflets (triternate), or once or twice more divided. The leaflets are to 2 long, to 1¾ wide, 1 to 2½ times as long as wide. They are egg-shaped with the attachment at the wide end or inversely egg-shaped with the attachment at the narrow end. The larger leaflets are divided into 2 to 5 but usually 3 lobes. The lobes are untoothed or occasionally have a few additional teeth. Smaller leaflets may be unlobed. The upper surface is hairless, the lower surface hairy but not glandular.

The male inflorescence is a large, open, showy, branched cluster at the end of the stems and branches. It is up to 10 tall and pyramid-shaped at the top. The female inflorescence is not showy.

Male flowers have usually 4 but up to 6 whitish petal-like sepals. There are no petals. They droop at the end of short stalks. The sepals often drop off early leaving about 12 stamens with white filaments and yellow anthers. The flowers do not produce petals or nectar to attract insects. They are wind pollinated.

The fruit is an achene about long.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

3 to 5

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Greenish-white

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Early meadow-rue (Thalictrum doicum) is a much smaller plant, 12 to 28 at maturity. All leaves, including middle and upper leaves, are on long stalks. The leaflets have 3 to 12 often round-toothed lobes. The flowers bloom earlier, April to May.

Waxy leaf meadow-rue (Thalictrum revolutum) stems are glaucous. Leaflet margins are rolled backward to the underside. The lower leaflet surface is covered with glandular hairs giving it a whitish, waxy appearance, and has a conspicuous network of raised veins.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Wet to moderate moisture. Meadows, shores, streambanks. Full to partial sun.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

June to July

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  6/23/2022      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Very common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Ranunculanae  
 

Order

Ranunculales (buttercups, poppies, and allies)  
 

Family

Ranunculaceae (buttercup)  
  Subfamily Thalictroideae (columbines and meadow-rues)  
 

Genus

Thalictrum (meadow-rues)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

A hairless and glandless (glabrous) variety has been described as Thalictrum dasycarpum var. hypoglaucum. However, both forms occur throughout the range of the species and are sometimes found in the same population.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Thalictrum dasycarpum var. dasycarpum

Thalictrum dasycarpum var. hypoglaucum

Thalictrum hypoglaucum

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

purple meadow rue

purple meadowrue

purple meadow-rue

tall meadow-rue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Achene

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded fruit, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed entirely from the wall of the superior ovary, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Caudex

A short, thickened, woody, persistent enlargement of the stem, at or below ground level, used for water storage.

 

Glandular hairs

Hairs spread over aerial vegetation that secrete essential oils. The oils act to protect against herbivores and pathogens or, when on a flower part, attract pollinators. The hairs have a sticky or oily feel.

 

Glaucous

Pale green or bluish gray due to a whitish, powdery or waxy film, as on a plum or a grape.

 

Ternate

Refers to leaves that are divided into three leaflets or sections.

 
 
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Greg Watson

 
    purple meadow-rue      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    purple meadow-rue      
           
 

Male Inflorescence

 
    purple meadow-rue   purple meadow-rue  
           
    purple meadow-rue   purple meadow-rue  
           
 

Female Inflorescence

 
    purple meadow-rue      
           
 

Leaves

 
    purple meadow-rue   purple meadow-rue  
           
    purple meadow-rue      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Tall Meadow Rue (King of the Meadow) (Thalictrum pubescens)
Andree Reno Sanborn
  Tall Meadow Rue (King of the Meadow) (Thalictrum pubescens)  

 

slideshow

       
 
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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Greg Watson
6/19/2022

Location: Apple Blossom Overlook Park

purple meadow rue  
           
 
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