BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Thalictrum dioicum | Early Meadowrue 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Early meadowrue is a dioecious perennial.  Its hollow stems rise 8 to 28
inches (20-70 cm) from a caudex or rootstock [9].  The caudex has dried
persistent bracts from the growth of previous years.  The alternate,
compound leaves have long stalks.  Flowers have no petals and are in
loose, open panicles.  Both male and female flowers have four purple to
greenish white sepals that drop off before fruits are formed [9].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Hemicryptophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Early meadowrue has a shallowly rooted caudex.  Foliage dies back to
this rootstock each winter and resprouts in spring.  Brundrett and
others [3] note that it grows typically in colonies.  However, Melampy
[14] asserts that only male plants produce stolons; therefore, colonies
are unisexual.  While vegetative reproduction favors the spread of male
plants, Melampy [14] notes that they may be more susceptible to
environmental stresses than female plants.  Male plants also reproduce
sexually, having long pendulous stamens that facilitate wind pollination
[9].  Fruits are achenes with no special dispersal mechanisms.  Most
likely, the dry fruits drop near the parent plants unless they are
consumed.  There is no information on the effects of animal digestive
tracts on seed survival.


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Early meadowrue commonly occurs on alluvial soils that range from
well-drained sandy loams to poorly drained clays [1,16]; however, it
usually is found on well-drained soils [1].  It grows in moist open
woods and is found on north-facing slopes, ledges, rocky areas, ravines,
and near limestone outcrops [21].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

A shade-tolerant plant, early meadowrue occurs as a minor component (up
to 25% cover, [4]) in subclimax communities of bur oak (Quercus
macrocarpa) and aspen (Populus tremuloides).


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
With its leaves about half grown, early meadowrue blooms early in spring
(April or May) throughout its range [9,17,20,21].  It flowers with or
before the expansion of leaves on deciduous trees.  Fruit begins to
mature approximately 1 month later (June) [9,17,20,21].  Leaves are
maintained throughout summer.  In fall, leaves become senescent, and
there are no living shoots during winter [9,17,20,21].

Related categories for Species: Thalictrum dioicum | Early Meadowrue