Thalictrum thalictroides

Native

Dry or moist woods.

April to June

White to pale pink-purple

4″ to 8″

This is a 4″ to 8″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on one or more stems from a small cluster of black, tuberous roots.

Basal leaves arise from the base of the plant on stalks 4¾″ long. The basal leaves divided into 3 segments, each segment divided into 3 stalked leaflets. The leaflets are widely egg-shaped or nearly round, ⅓″ to 1⅛″ wide. The upper and lower surfaces are hairless. The margins are untoothed but have 2 shallow notches toward the tip, effectively creating 3 shallow lobes.

A solitary, hairless, flowering stalk, up to 8″ long, rises from the ground. At the end of the stalk is an umbel-like cluster of 1 to 6, usually no less than 3, flowers. Just below the inflorescence are 2 opposite or 3 whorled leaves, which are similar to the basal leaves.

The flowers are ⅓″ to 1¼″ across and have 5 to 10 usually white, but sometimes pale pink-purple, petal-like sepals. There are no petals.

Eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) is often much taller, reaching up to 16″. The flowers are smaller, only ½″ to ¾″ across, with 5 petal-like sepals that are always white. The leaves are more deeply lobed. It often forms colonies.