Thalictrum fendleri

Meadow-rue is a common name for plants in this genus. The hairless stems are green to purple in color. The leaves have compound blades divided into a few or many segments of varying shapes, often with three lobes, and are borne on long, slender petioles. The blades are hairless to slightly fuzzy and glandular. The inflorescence is an upright or arching panicle of flowers. The species is usually dioecious, with male and female flowers occurring on separate plants, but plants with bisexual flowers have been noted. The male flower has a bell-shaped calyx of four sepals in shades of greenish white or purple which may lighten to white with age. From the calyx dangle many long, yellow or purple stamens tipped with large anthers. The female flower has a cluster of immature fruits tipped with styles in shades of light to deep, bright pink. As the fruits develop the styles wither to hard, black stubs. A cluster may have up to 20 fruits.