Thalictrum aquilegifolium L.
Meadow rue, columbine meadow-rue
Columbine meadow rue is native to eastern Europe, and naturalized in part of Canada.
Plants: 3–4′ (91–121 cm) in height.
Leaves: Foliage consists of rounded leaves that have three divisions, and are more deeply divided than other rues, resembling leaves of columbines.
Flowers: Flat-topped panicles in groups 6–8″ (15–20 cm) around. Each flower lacks petals, but male flowers have an attractive spray of pink-violet stamens that looks like a soft pom-pom. (There is also a white-flowered subspecies.) Female plants do not have showy flowers. Flowers appear from May to July.
Habitats: Rich, mesic soils in full sun or partial shade.
Online References:
5/24/2010 · Stan and Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm) 
5/24/2010 · Stan and Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) 
5/24/2010 · Stan and Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm) 
5/24/2010 · Stan and Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 17 × 12″ (44 × 29 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others |
| Order | Ranunculales | Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots” |
| Family | Ranunculaceae | Buttercup family |
| Genus | Thalictrum | From Greek qaliktron (thaliktron), a “plant with divided leaves” |
| Species | aquilegifolium | With leaves resembling those of columbines |
Thalictrum aquilegifolium description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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