Meadow Rue, Thalictrum fendleri

Male plant; cultivated, University Hills, Irvine, CA. 4-22-11. © Joan Avise

Male plant; cultivated, University Hills, Irvine, CA. 4-22-11. © Joan Avise

Male flower has a bell-shaped calyx of 4 sepals ranging from greenish white to purple. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.

Male plants. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.

Purplish-green female bud at the apex of a 3 ft. (and growing) thick stem. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.

Male inflorescence. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.

Female inflorescence: a panicle of cymes. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant

Immature female flower, 3−3.5 mm across with four greenish petal-like sepals, no petals, 15-24 pistils. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant

The bracts subtending the peduncle are leaflike and have winglike margins resembling pairs of white stipules. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant

Maturing female flower has four sepals and may have up to 20 styles that change from pale green to deep pink. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.

Maturing female flowers with a cluster of immature fruits tipped with slender styles. As they mature, the styles wither to become hard black stubs on the green single-seeded fruits. San Juan Loop Trail, Ortega Oaks, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise

Female plants are much taller than males. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.

Male flowers have four greenish petal-like sepals, no petals; 15-28 drooping stamens with thread-like filaments and yellow anthers. Cultivated, University Hills, Irvine, CA. 4-22-11. © Joan Avise	Meadow Rue Thalictrum fendleri, var. polycarpum A widespread dioecious (separate male and female plants) perennial confined to rich shaded moist soil, fairly common (Roberts) in colonies along stream courses and on shaded slopes; Chino Hills, Lomas de Santiago, Starr Ranch, and Santa Ana Mountains. Plants grow from 2- 6 ft. high. Flowering March - June. Back to Ranunculaceae of Orange County, California Back to Eudicots of Orange County, California Back to Natural History of Orange County, California
Male flower. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant	Male inflorescence: a panicle of cymes. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant
Male plant; cultivated, University Hills, Irvine, CA. 4-22-11. © Joan Avise	Male plant; cultivated, University Hills, Irvine, CA. 4-22-11. © Joan Avise
Male inflorescence, in bud. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.	Leaves are smooth, twice compound with 3 leaflets in each segment. Leaflets are 3-lobed, toothed with sheath-like base. Dos Picos County Park, San Diego Co., CA. 3-23-08. © Joan Avise
Male flower has a bell-shaped calyx of 4 sepals ranging from greenish white to purple. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.	Male plants. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.
Purplish-green female bud at the apex of a 3 ft. (and growing) thick stem. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.	Male inflorescence. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.
Female inflorescence: a panicle of cymes. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant	Immature female flower, 3−3.5 mm across with four greenish petal-like sepals, no petals, 15-24 pistils. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant
The bracts subtending the peduncle are leaflike and have winglike margins resembling pairs of white stipules. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant
Maturing female flower has four sepals and may have up to 20 styles that change from pale green to deep pink. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.	Maturing female flowers with a cluster of immature fruits tipped with slender styles. As they mature, the styles wither to become hard black stubs on the green single-seeded fruits. San Juan Loop Trail, Ortega Oaks, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise
Immature fruits. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.	Female plant. San Juan Loop Trail, Ortega Oaks, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise
Female plant; purplish flower buds (upper left). Dos Picos County Park, San Diego Co., CA. 3-23-08. © Joan Avise	Female plants are much taller than males. San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, CA. 4-4-12. © Joan Avise.