Sometimes people are in such a hurry to find the neat stuff
that they pass by the neatest stuff of all.
Early Meadow Rue, Thalictrum dioicum, the tiny plant that produced these
lovely blooms, often goes unnoticed and sometimes trampled by those looking for
something interesting. You have to get
your face pretty close to the ground to see this flower, but I would certainly
classify it as interesting.
The long stamens cascade down and support a bright yellow
anther. Many people are reminded of wind
chimes and the way the flowers sway with even the slightest breeze supports
that image. Personally, I always think
of jellyfish when I watch these delicate blooms.
From a standing position, it’s almost impossible to see the
flowers. I see how it can be overlooked
by the casual observer. Even those who
find and admire the plant, often don’t know that they’ve only discovered half
of the story.
Early Meadow Rue is a dioecious plant, meaning that the male
and female flower parts are contained on separate plants. This fact is missing from many common field
guides and the photos only show the male flowers, so it’s understandable that
so many are unfamiliar with the female half of the pair.
The female flowers are hard to see even when they’re at the
tip of your nose. At Blue Jay Barrens,
the female plants are greatly outnumbered by male and non-flowering
plants. I knew what to look for and
still had trouble spotting a female plant.
The leaflets resemble many other spring time leaves. One eye catching feature is the method in
which new leaves fan out like a deck of cards as they develop. The clustered leaflets can look more like a
flower than the actual flower.
The leaves are multiply pinnate, forming many branches
before terminating in a leaflet. This
feature usually distinguishes them from the other early spring
wildflowers. There are some other
species of Meadow Rues, but they come along later in the year. I’ve found that it’s always worthwhile to
slow down and get close to the ground.
Distance covered may be shortened, but the overall outdoor experience is
enhanced.
