thalictrum minus

{{Short description|Species of herb}}

{{speciesbox

|image = Thalictrum minus 1.jpg

|genus = Thalictrum

|species = minus

|authority = L.

}}

Thalictrum minus, known as lesser meadow-rue,{{BSBI 2007 |accessdate=2014-10-17 }}{{PLANTS|id=THMI15|taxon=Thalictrum minus|accessdate=9 December 2015}} is a perennial herb in the family Ranunculaceae that is native to Europe, Northwest Africa, Yemen, Ethiopia, South Africa, Southwest Asia, and Siberia. It grows on sand dunes, shingle, coastal rocks or calcareous grassland, cliffs and rocky gullies at up to {{convert|1600|to|3000|m|ft|abbr=on}} elevation at southern latitudes.{{cite book |author1=Cope, Thomas A. |author2=Miller, Anthony |title=Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |location=Edinburgh |year= 1996|page=313 |isbn=0-7486-0475-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U2qasRVcD78C&pg=PA313}} It grows to {{convert|30|cm|ft|abbr=on}} tall with erect stems and {{convert|1|cm|in|abbr=on}} leaves that are highly subdivided, 3-4 ternate to pinnate.{{cite book |author=Stace, Clive |authorlink = Clive Stace |title=New Flora of the British Isles |publisher=Cambridge University Press| location=Cambridge |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-521-70772-5}}

The plant contains an alkaloid 'Thalidisine', which is also present in other Thalictrum species.S.W. Pelletier (Editor) {{google books|0Rr_Ojmufi0C|Alkaloids: Chemical and Biological Perspectives, Volume 14|page=48}}