I bought this plant last year as one of the smaller types of Epimedium. It is blooming this year, and the flowers don't look like any of the other epimedium blooms I have.

Thalictrum ichangense.

That is heading in the correct direction. Thank you Lori.
Everything I find for Thalictrum ichangense shows it with pink/mauve blooms. Can this one come in white also?

This one looks closer.


This one even has the same leaves as mine.
Thalictrum kiusianum http://www.missouribotanicalga...

Thalictrum kiusianum is certainly the other obvious one to compare to. If you do a Google search of either species, I think you'll see that most photos of both show pink flowers (sepals, actually).

eFlora of China says that Thalictrum ichangense has white flowers:
http://www.efloras.org/florata...

I think the leaves on your plant match Thalictrum ichangense ("apex obtuse to rounded, 3-lobed; lobes toothed at margin"), as compared to what appear to be much more prominently toothed leaves on Thalictrum kiusianum... for which, unfortunately, I can't find a description (so this is going from Google photos).

I think you are correct.
And the flowers are so tiny, they could be a very pale lavender.

T. kiusianum does not have peltate leaves. Your plant in question does. According to Aaron Floden, an American botanist and Thalictrum expert, T. ichangense is rather rare in cultivation, and T. coreanum is the usual imposter. They are quite easy to tell apart once established, as T. ichangense will remain a clump, while T. coreanum has a spreading habit by underground roots and tubers. (I believe T. ichangense produces tubers also, but is not mat forming.)

Notice also that Thalictrum 'Heronswood Form' does not have peltate leaves.

My T. coreanum usually has light lavender flowers, but sometimes are white (unless you look really close). They always tend to have darker color in the early part of the bloom season.

I just took some more photos.
Turns out that these blooms have turned a very pale lavender color. And now I do see that the leaves are peltate. I had to look that word up, didn't know what it meant. I have only had my plant for one year, so not sure what it's growth habit might be. So far it is all one plant, with no spreading by underground roots and tubers.




It seems that T. coreanum is a synonym for Thalictrum ichangense var. coreanum.
http://en.hortipedia.com/wiki/...
http://www.catalogueoflife.org...
And then there is this study on the two species that was publishe this year.
http://www.lifesciencesite.com...