Thread-like meadow rue is a delicate woodland wildflower from East Asia whose "flowers" are really fluffy tufts of white stamens, since it has no petals. It doesn't grow wild in the United States; it is native to Korea, Japan, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A slender perennial herb with upright stems 4–31 in (10–80 cm) tall.
- Leaves
- Leaves are divided into threes, two or three times over; the leaflets have coarse teeth and grayish-white undersides.
- Flowers
- White to pale pink flowers about 1/3 in (8 mm) across form loose, flat-topped clusters. The sepals drop early, leaving a puff of club-shaped white stamens.
- Fruit
- Each flower makes 2–7 flat, crescent-shaped dry fruits about 3/16 in (4–5 mm) long.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Moist forest edges
- Shady forest floors
- Damp rocks in ravines
- Range
- Native to Korea, Japan, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East. It is not native to North America.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Korean and Japanese plant lists often treat this plant as Thalictrum filamentosum var. tenerum, while some classifications keep it as a separate species, Thalictrum tuberiferum. The description here mainly follows that Korean and Japanese form.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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