Alpine meadow-rue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alpine meadow-rue |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thalictrum
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| Species: |
alpinum
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Thalictrum alpinum, also called alpine meadow-rue or arctic meadow-rue, is a small flowering plant. It belongs to the buttercup family. You can find it in cold, high places like the Arctic and mountains. It grows in North America and Eurasia, including Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. It likes wet, boggy areas.
Description
Alpine meadow-rue is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from an underground stem called a rhizome. This plant can grow to be about 5 to 25 centimeters (2 to 10 inches) tall. Its stems stand straight up and usually do not have branches or leaves.
Most of the leaves grow in a circle at the base of the plant, like a rosette. These leaves are made of smaller parts, called leaflets. The leaflets are shaped like small triangles with wavy edges. They are longer than they are wide. The top side is shiny dark green, and the bottom is a pale bluish-green.
The flowers grow in a cluster called a raceme. This cluster bends over as the flowers and fruits grow. Each flower has a bell-shaped cup made of green or purple parts called sepals. Inside, there are up to fifteen long purple stamens. These stamens have large yellow tips called anthers.
Each flower has only one carpel, which is the part that makes seeds. It does not have any petals. The fruit is a dry seed called an achene. It has ridges along its sides and a small bristle at the end. Unlike many other meadow-rue plants, this species is usually pollinated by wind, not by insects.
Distribution and Habitat
Alpine meadow-rue is found all around the northern parts of the world. This includes northern Europe and Asia, as well as Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. You can also find it in mountain ranges further south.
This plant naturally grows in cold, open areas like tundra. It also lives in open birch forests, along the banks of streams and rivers, and by the shores of lakes. You might see it in alpine meadows and wet, boggy places. Sometimes, it grows in fens, which are a type of wetland, especially near the edges of pine forests.
See also
In Spanish: Thalictrum alpinum para niños
