W185 

 (leaf 2) 



purplish. The flowers of a few species are perfect, containing both 

 male (pollen-producing) organs (stamens) and female (seed-pro- 

 ducing) organs (pistils) ; in most species the pistils and stamens are 

 borne in separate flowers on separate plants (dioecious) or occasion- 

 ally perfect flowers are intermixed with male and female flowers 

 (polygamous) . The male flowers are often very attractive with their 

 numerous, delicate, colored stamens. 



Meadowrues derive their name from the meadow habitat of the 

 typical Old World species a habitat which is rather characteristic 

 of the genus as a whole and from a fancied resemblance of the 

 foliage to that of common rue (Ruta grew col-ens] . However, the 

 bitterness of the leaves in meaclowrue lacks the peculiarly acrid 

 character of rue. Certain species of meadowrue are sometimes 

 known as poor-man's rhubarb, because their herbage was formerly 

 used as a substitute for rhubarb. Thdlictrum is Latinized from tha- 

 lictron, a name used by the Greek medical writer, Dioscorides (first 

 century, B. C.), for a plant thought to be the Old World low 

 meadowrue (T. minus}. 



Because of their feathery masses of male flowers, their graceful 

 foliage, often in pleasing contrast to purplish stems, and their hard- 

 iness, many of the meadowrues are grown as ornamentals. Some 

 species are suitable for mixed borders and rock gardens; the robust 

 forms are valuable in wild gardens. Such native range species as 

 alpine meadowrue (T. alpi'nuni]^ early meadowrue (T . dioi'cum), 

 Fendler meadowrue, western meadowrue (T. occidenta'le], and veiny 

 meadowrue (T. venulo'sum} have been used commercially for some 

 time. 



There is evidence that some species of meadowrue have active 

 chemical properties ; hence a thorough study of the genus from this 

 standpoint would be of interest and value. The roots of bigseed 

 meadowrue (T. mavrooarfpwri) of southern Europe are the source 

 of a crystalline yellow, extremely toxic substance like curare, a plant 

 used by South American Indians for poisoning arrows and darts. 

 This substance consists of thalictrine, an alkaloid insoluble in water, 

 and macrocarpin, a yellow crystalline body soluble in water, repre- 

 senting the coloring principle of Thaliotrwn (roots of some species 

 yield a yellow dye suitable for woolens). The same elements occur 

 in the roots of fen meadowrue (T. fla'vwn), known also as fenrue 

 and monk's rhubarb, and of dusty meadowrue (T. glau'cum) of 

 Europe, as well as in snoutseed meadowrue (T. rhynchocar' pum) of 

 north Africa. Thalictrine is a very active cardiac poison, which 

 causes loss of power, convulsive movements, irregularity and de- 

 pression of the heart beat, and finally death. 1 



Although possibly the American species contain the same toxins, 

 no livestock losses attributable to these plants have been recorded. 

 Domestic animals, to be sure, would hardly be tempted to eat the 



l Wood, H. C., Remington, J. P., and Sadtler, S. P., assisted by Lyons, A. B., and 



Wood, H. C.. Jr. THE DISPENSATORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BY DR. GEO. B. 



WOOD AND DR. FRANKLIN BACHE. Ed. 19, thoroughly rev. and largely rewritten . . . 1,947 

 pp. Philadelphia and London, 1907. 



