Thalictrum sparsiflorum
Few flowered meadow rue
(c) Jason Grant, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Thalictrum sparsiflorum (Few flowered meadow rue) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family, recognized by . Key features: bisexual flowers, flat filaments, strongly compressed crescent-shaped fruits.
Few flowered meadow rue is a California native perennial found in the northern California Ranges, northern and central Sierra Nevada, San Bernardo Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in moist places and streambanks within conifer forests at elevations of 1,400 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces delicate white flowers with 10 to 20 stamens in loose panicle inflorescences. Growing with tall stems 60 to 180 centimeters high, it develops a robust and graceful structure with leaf-like bracts. Its leaves are complex, with finely glandular-puberulent segments 12 to 20 millimeters long, arranged both at the base and along the stem. The fruit consists of 6 to 22 slightly reflexed segments with compressed lateral bodies 4 to 6 millimeters long and short beaks.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species. Key features: bisexual flowers, flat filaments, strongly compressed crescent-shaped fruits.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Moist places, streambanks, conifer forest
Elevation: 1400-3500 m
California counties: Tulare, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, San Bernardino, Riverside, Mono, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Plumas, Nevada, Kern, Butte, Lassen, Shasta, Sierra, Placer, Tehama, Modoc, Siskiyou, Trinity, Santa Barbara, Alpine
Outside California: to Alaska, Colorado, Asia
Bloom period
Thalictrum sparsiflorum blooms Jul-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Clematis: Thalictrum has herbaceous stems and tiny petal-less flowers in open clusters; Clematis has woody stems and large showy flowers.; vs Adiantum: Thalictrum has flowers with dangling stamens; Adiantum is a true fern with spores on leaf undersides, never flowers.; vs Aquilegia: Thalictrum has tiny petal-less flowers in open airy clusters; Aquilegia has large showy flowers with distinctive spurs.; vs Lomatium: Thalictrum leaves have rounded, scalloped leaflets; Lomatium leaves are finely divided into narrow linear segments.; vs Enemion: Thalictrum has petal-less flowers with dangling linear anthers; Enemion has 5 white petals and shorter stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Thalictrum sparsiflorum native to California?
Yes. Thalictrum sparsiflorum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Thalictrum sparsiflorum bloom?
Thalictrum sparsiflorum blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Thalictrum sparsiflorum grow?
Thalictrum sparsiflorum occurs in Tulare, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, San Bernardino, Riverside, Mono, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 1400-3500 m.
What plant family does Thalictrum sparsiflorum belong to?
Thalictrum sparsiflorum is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Thalictrum.
What habitat does Thalictrum sparsiflorum grow in?
Thalictrum sparsiflorum grows in Uncommon. Moist places, streambanks, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Thalictrum alpinum — Arctic meadow-rue
- Thalictrum fendleri — Fendler's meadow rue
- Thalictrum fendleri var. fendleri — Fendler's meadow rue
- Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum — Fendler's meadow rue
- Thalictrum occidentale — Western meadow rue
- Thalictrum sp. — Meadow-rue
- Trautvetteria caroliniensis — Carolina bugbane
- Trautvetteria sp.
- Aconitum columbianum — Columbian monkshood
- Aconitum columbianum subsp. columbianum
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.