Thalictrum occidentale

Western meadow rue

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Western meadow rue is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges and northwestern Klamath Ranges in moist, shaded conifer forests at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces delicate white to greenish flowers with thread-like stamens in loose panicle arrangements. Growing with erect stems 40 to 100 centimeters tall, it develops an expansive, dioecious habit with multiple branching stems. Its compound leaves have 11 to 35 millimeter segments, arranged in complex basal and cauline configurations that are glabrous or finely glandular-puberulent. The plant produces 6 to 14 reflexed fruits with compressed lateral bodies 4 to 6 millimeters long.

Habitat: Moist, shaded places, conifer forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: n NCo, nw KR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.