THALICTRUM 
1 19 
British series of Thalictrum 
Series i. Alpina (see below). Petioles as long as the lamina. Laminae pinnate to bipinnate. 
Inflorescence simple or nearly so. Pedicels reflexed at and after anthesis. Achenes shortly stalked. 
Series ii. Minores (p. 120). Petioles shorter than the laminae. Laminae tripinnate. In- 
florescence compound. Pedicels not reflexed after flowering. Flowers more or less nodding. Achenes 
sessile. 
Series iii. Flava (p. 122). Petioles of the lower leaves nearly as long as the laminae; stem- 
leaves sessile. Inflorescence compound, very dense-flowered. Pedicels not reflexed after flowering. 
Flowers erect. Achenes sessile. 
Series i. Alpina 
Alpina nobis; Homo-Tlialictrnm Fries Summa Veg. Scand. 27 (1846) nomen. 
For characters, see above. Only species: — T. alpinum. 
I. THALICTRUM ALPINUM. Alpine Meadow-rue. Plate 117 
T. minimum montanum atrorubens foliis splendentibus Lhwyd in Ray Syn. 62 (1690); ed. 2, 100 (1696); 
ed. 3, 204 (1724). 
Thalictrum alpinum L. Sp. 
PI 545 ( r 753 )l; Lightfoot Ft. Scot, i, 
286, t. 13 (1 777); Smith Eng. Bot. no. 
262(1795)!; FI. Brit. 584(1800); Syme 
Eng. Bot. i, 4 (1863); Rouy et Foucaud 
FI. France i, 10 (1893). 
leones : — Smith Eng. Bot. t. 262 ; 
Svensk Bot. t. 655 ; FI. Dan. t. 11; 
Reichenbach Icon. t. 26 ( Ranunc .), fig. 
4625 ; Syme Eng. Bot. i, t. 2. 
Camb. Brit. FI. iii. Plate 117. (a, b) 
Whole plants. a , from Cambridge 
Botanic Garden (R. I. L.). b, from 
Perthshire (E. S. M.). 
Exsiccata : — Andersson (FI. Lapp . ), 
84; Billot, 1601; Bourgeau (Pyr. Esp.), 80; 
Dickson, xviii, 6 ; Don, 1 5 ; Fries, iii, 27 ; 
Reichenbach, 1980; Schultz et Winter 
(H. N.), i, 2; Ft. Austr.-Hung., 2561; 
PI. Braem. 1. 
Perennial ; the smallest species 
of the genus, about 5 — 20 cm. high. 
Rhizome slender. Shoot glabrous. 
Leaves all petioled ; petioles as long 
as or rather longer than the laminae ; 
laminae bipinnate ; pinnae often ter- 
nate; lobes of the pinnae 3 -fid to 
5-fid, obtuse, shiny and usually dark- 
coloured above, subglaucous under- 
neath, often purplish ; lateral lobes 
about as long as or a little longer 
than broad, up to about 5 — 7 mm. 
broad. Inflorescence simple, lax- 
flowered. Bracts small. Bracteoles 
absent. Pedicels reflexed before and 
after flowering. Sepals 4, pale yellow, 
acute. Stamens about 8 — 10; anthers 
oblong, not apiculate. Achenes sub- 
sessile or shortly stalked. 
Map 47. Distribution of Thalictrum alpinum in the British Islands 
