214 Species of Genus Thalictrum

Thalictrum: A Meadow Rue Runs Through It

My name is Ferb Vu, and I’ve always been drawn to the subtle beauty of wildflowers. There’s a certain charm to their unassuming nature, their quiet strength as they thrive in diverse environments. Among my favorites is the genus Thalictrum, commonly known as meadow rue. These delicate perennials, with their airy blooms and feathery foliage, bring a touch of understated elegance to any garden.

A Diverse Genus

Thalictrum belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, and encompasses a wide array of species, somewhere 214. They’re primarily found in temperate regions across the globe, gracing meadows, woodlands, and stream banks with their presence. What unites them is their distinctive appearance: finely divided leaves, often resembling maidenhair ferns, and clouds of fluffy flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, and yellow.

1. Thalictrum acaule Jacquem. ex Cambess.
2. Thalictrum actaeifolium Siebold & Zucc.
3. Thalictrum acutifolium (Hand.-Mazz.) B.Boivin
4. Thalictrum acutilobum DC.
5. Thalictrum alpinum L.
6. Thalictrum amphibolum Greene
7. Thalictrum angustialatum (W.T.Wang) Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
8. Thalictrum appendiculatum C.A.Mey.
9. Thalictrum aquilegiifolium L.
10. Thalictrum arkansanum B.Boivin
11. Thalictrum arsenei B.Boivin
12. Thalictrum atriplex Finet & Gagnep.
13. Thalictrum baicalense Turcz. ex Regel
14. Thalictrum bouffordii Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
15. Thalictrum brachyandrum W.T.Wang
16. Thalictrum brevisericeum W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
17. Thalictrum bykovii Kotukhov
18. Thalictrum calabricum Spreng.
19. Thalictrum calcicola T.Shimizu
20. Thalictrum changii Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
21. Thalictrum chelidonii DC.
22. Thalictrum cincinnatum B.Boivin
23. Thalictrum cirrhosum H.Lév.
24. Thalictrum clavatum DC.
25. Thalictrum confine Fernald
26. Thalictrum conzattii B.Boivin
27. Thalictrum cooleyi H.E.Ahles
28. Thalictrum coreanum H.Lév.
29. Thalictrum coriaceum (Britton) Small
30. Thalictrum cuernavacanum Rose
31. Thalictrum cultratum Wall.
32. Thalictrum dalzellii Hook.
33. Thalictrum dasycarpum Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Avé-Lall.
34. Thalictrum deamii B.Boivin
35. Thalictrum debile Buckley
36. Thalictrum decipiens B.Boivin
37. Thalictrum delavayi Franch.
38. Thalictrum diffusiflorum C.Marquand & Airy Shaw
39. Thalictrum dingjieense W.T.Wang
40. Thalictrum dioicum L.
41. Thalictrum domingense Urb.
42. Thalictrum elegans Wall. ex Royle
43. Thalictrum faberi Ulbr.
44. Thalictrum fargesii Franch. ex Finet & Gagnep.
45. Thalictrum fendleri Engelm. ex A.Gray
46. Thalictrum filamentosum Maxim.
47. Thalictrum fimbriatum Qureshi & Chaudhri
48. Thalictrum finetii B.Boivin
49. Thalictrum flavum L.
50. Thalictrum foeniculaceum Bunge
51. Thalictrum foetidum L.
52. Thalictrum foliolosum DC.
53. Thalictrum fortunei S.Moore
54. Thalictrum galeottii Lecoy.
55. Thalictrum gibbosum Lecoy.
56. Thalictrum glandulosissimum (Finet & Gagnep.) W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
57. Thalictrum grandidentatum W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
58. Thalictrum grandiflorum Maxim.
59. Thalictrum grandifolium S.Watson
60. Thalictrum guatemalense C.DC. & Rose
61. Thalictrum hamatum Maxim.
62. Thalictrum hazaricum Qureshi & Chaudhri
63. Thalictrum heliophilum Wilken & DeMott
64. Thalictrum hengduanshanense Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
65. Thalictrum henricksonii M.C.Johnst.
66. Thalictrum hernandezii Tausch
67. Thalictrum hintonii B.Boivin
68. Thalictrum honanense W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
69. Thalictrum ichangense Lecoy. ex Oliv.
70. Thalictrum integrilobum Maxim.
71. Thalictrum isopyroides C.A.Mey.
72. Thalictrum jaliscanum Rose
73. Thalictrum javanicum Blume
74. Thalictrum jiulongense W.T.Wang
75. Thalictrum johnstonii Standl.
76. Thalictrum kiusianum Nakai
77. Thalictrum koikeanum Sera, Hamada & Kadota
78. Thalictrum kubotae Kadota
79. Thalictrum kuhistanicum Ovcz. & Kochk.
80. Thalictrum laeteviride B.Boivin
81. Thalictrum lanatum Lecoy.
82. Thalictrum lancangense Y.Y.Qian
83. Thalictrum lankesteri Standl.
84. Thalictrum lecoyeri Franch.
85. Thalictrum leuconotum Franch.
86. Thalictrum leve (Franch.) W.T.Wang
87. Thalictrum longistipitatum Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
88. Thalictrum longistylum DC.
89. Thalictrum lucidum L.
90. Thalictrum macrocarpum Gren.
91. Thalictrum macrostylum Small & A.Heller
92. Thalictrum madrense Rose
93. Thalictrum maritimum Dufour
94. Thalictrum × medium Jacq.
95. Thalictrum megalostigma (B.Boivin) W.T.Wang
96. Thalictrum microgynum Lecoy. ex Oliv.
97. Thalictrum microspermum Ohwi
98. Thalictrum minshanicum Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
99. Thalictrum minus L.
100. Thalictrum mirabile Small
101. Thalictrum morisonii C.C.Gmel.
102. Thalictrum myriophyllum Ohwi
103. Thalictrum nainitalense Harsh Singh, Alka Srivast. & T.Husain
104. Thalictrum nakamurae Koidz.
105. Thalictrum nanhuaense Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
106. Thalictrum nelsonii B.Boivin
107. Thalictrum nepalense W.T.Wang
108. Thalictrum neurocarpum Royle
109. Thalictrum obovatum Blatt.
110. Thalictrum occidentale A.Gray
111. Thalictrum oligandrum Maxim.
112. Thalictrum omeiense W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
113. Thalictrum orientale Boiss.
114. Thalictrum oshimae Masam.
115. Thalictrum osmorhizoides Nakai
116. Thalictrum osmundifolium Finet & Gagnep.
117. Thalictrum pachucense Rose
118. Thalictrum panamense Standl.
119. Thalictrum papuanum Ridl.
120. Thalictrum parvifructum B.Boivin
121. Thalictrum pedunculatum Edgew.
122. Thalictrum peltatum DC.
123. Thalictrum peninsulare (Brandegee) Rose
124. Thalictrum pennellii B.Boivin
125. Thalictrum peruvianum Trinidad & A.Cano
126. Thalictrum petaloideum L.
127. Thalictrum philippinense C.B.Rob.
128. Thalictrum pinnatum S.Watson
129. Thalictrum platycarpum Hook.f. & Thomson
130. Thalictrum podocarpum Kunth ex DC.
131. Thalictrum polycarpum (Torr.) S.Watson
132. Thalictrum praecox Jord.
133. Thalictrum pringlei S.Watson
134. Thalictrum przewalskii Maxim.
135. Thalictrum pseudoichangense Q.E.Yang & G.H.Zhu
136. Thalictrum pseudoramosum Y.P.Zeng, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
137. Thalictrum pubescens Pursh
138. Thalictrum pubigerum Benth.
139. Thalictrum pudicum Standl. & B.Boivin
140. Thalictrum pumilum Ulbr.
141. Thalictrum punduanum Wall.
142. Thalictrum ramosum B.Boivin
143. Thalictrum reniforme Wall.
144. Thalictrum reticulatum Franch.
145. Thalictrum rhynchocarpum Quart.-Dill. & A.Rich.
146. Thalictrum robustum Maxim.
147. Thalictrum rochebruneanum Franch. & Sav.
148. Thalictrum roseanum B.Boivin
149. Thalictrum rostellatum Hook.f. & Thomson
150. Thalictrum rotundifolium DC.
151. Thalictrum rubescens Ohwi
152. Thalictrum rutifolium Hook.f. & Thomson
153. Thalictrum sachalinense Lecoy.
154. Thalictrum saniculiforme DC.
155. Thalictrum scabrifolium Franch.
156. Thalictrum secundum Edgew.
157. Thalictrum semiscandens W.W.Sm.
158. Thalictrum sessile Hayata
159. Thalictrum sexnervisepalum W.T.Wang
160. Thalictrum sharpii B.Boivin
161. Thalictrum shensiense W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
162. Thalictrum siamense T.Shimizu
163. Thalictrum simaoense W.T.Wang & G.H.Zhu
164. Thalictrum simplex L.
165. Thalictrum smithii B.Boivin
166. Thalictrum sparsiflorum Turcz. ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
167. Thalictrum speciosissimum Loefl.
168. Thalictrum × spurium Timeroy ex Jord.
169. Thalictrum squamiferum Lecoy.
170. Thalictrum squarrosum Stephan ex Willd.
171. Thalictrum standleyi Steyerm.
172. Thalictrum stenantherum W.T.Wang
173. Thalictrum steyermarkii Standl.
174. Thalictrum stolzii Ulbr.
175. Thalictrum strigillosum Hemsl.
176. Thalictrum sultanabadense Stapf
177. Thalictrum tacabicum Pakravan & Assadi
178. Thalictrum tamurae Kadota & Nob.Tanaka
179. Thalictrum tenue Franch.
180. Thalictrum tenuisubulatum W.T.Wang
181. Thalictrum texanum (E.Hall ex A.Gray) Small
182. Thalictrum × timeroyi Jord.
183. Thalictrum torresii Standl. & B.Boivin
184. Thalictrum toyamae Hatus. & Ohwi
185. Thalictrum treleasei B.Boivin
186. Thalictrum trichopus Franch.
187. Thalictrum tripeltiferum B.Boivin
188. Thalictrum triternatum Rupr.
189. Thalictrum tsawarungense W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
190. Thalictrum tuberiferum Maxim.
191. Thalictrum tuberosum L.
192. Thalictrum uchiyamae Nakai
193. Thalictrum ujiinsulare Hatus.
194. Thalictrum umbricola Ulbr.
195. Thalictrum uncatum Maxim.
196. Thalictrum uncinatum Rehmann
197. Thalictrum uncinulatum Franch.
198. Thalictrum urbaini Hayata
199. Thalictrum ussuriense Luferov
200. Thalictrum venturii B.Boivin
201. Thalictrum venulosum Trel.
202. Thalictrum vesiculosum Lecoy.
203. Thalictrum virgatum Hook.f. & Thomson
204. Thalictrum viscosum W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
205. Thalictrum wangii B.Boivin
206. Thalictrum watanabei Yatabe
207. Thalictrum wuyishanicum W.T.Wang & S.H.Wang
208. Thalictrum xiaojinense W.T.Wang
209. Thalictrum xinningense W.T.Wang
210. Thalictrum yadongense W.T.Wang
211. Thalictrum yunnanense W.T.Wang
212. Thalictrum yuoxiense W.T.Wang
213. Thalictrum zernyi Ulbr.
214. Thalictrum zhadaense W.T.Wang

The Allure of Subtlety

I’m particularly fond of the way Thalictrum dances in the breeze. The flowers, lacking true petals, are composed of colorful sepals and long, prominent stamens that give them a wispy, ethereal quality. They sway gracefully, creating a sense of movement and tranquility in the garden.

The foliage, too, is a major draw. The leaves are often bluish-green, adding a cool, calming element to the landscape. Their delicate texture provides a beautiful contrast to bolder plants, softening hard edges and creating a sense of harmony.

Cultivating Meadow Rue

One of the things I appreciate about Thalictrum is its adaptability. While most species prefer partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, they can tolerate a range of conditions. Some thrive in full sun, while others tolerate drier soils. This makes them a versatile choice for gardeners of all levels.

They’re relatively low-maintenance plants, requiring minimal care once established. Deadheading spent flowers can encourage prolonged blooming, and dividing clumps every few years can help maintain vigor.

Beyond the Garden

Thalictrum has a history of use in traditional medicine, particularly in Asia. Some species have been used to treat a variety of ailments, including fever, inflammation, and skin conditions. However, it’s important to note that more research is needed to fully understand the medicinal properties of these plants.

A Personal Connection

For me, Thalictrum represents more than just a beautiful garden plant. It symbolizes resilience, adaptability, and the beauty of understated elegance. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most captivating things are those that don’t shout for attention, but rather whisper their beauty to those who take the time to notice.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, I encourage you to explore the world of Thalictrum. These enchanting plants are sure to bring a touch of magic to your garden, captivating you with their subtle charm and graceful presence.