Terminal leaflets, fruits, pistils, pedicels, bracts and staminodia of the North American Cimicifuga are illustrated and these illustrations serve as focal points for discussions of morphological variations. Cimicifuga elata and C. rubifolia have deeply cordate terminal leaflets and never produce staminodia. The nature of the petiole sulcus and the size, number, and position of bracts relative to the pedicel are found to be taxonomically significant and useful in field recognition of the eastern North American species. The mature petiole of C. racemosa has no sulcus. Measurements indicate that C. rubifolia has the fewest leaflets, largest terminal leaflet, longest follicles and smallest pollen grains in the genus. The occurrence of differences in xylem patterns in roots of the eastern North American species suggest the possibility of distinguishing them on the basis of anatomical characteristics. Species relationships are suggested. Cimicifuga rubifolia is a distinctive species as described by Kearney.