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common goldentop, common grass-leaf-goldenrod, flat-top goldentop, fragrant goldenrod, grass-leaf goldenrod, grass-leaf goldentop, verge d'or à feuilles de graminées

Habit Perennials, 30–150 cm.
Stems

(commonly branched in distal 1/4) glabrous or densely spreading-hirtellous, not glaucous.

Leaves

spreading to ascending;

blades 3- or 5-nerved, linear to lanceolate, 37–130 × (2.1–)3–12 mm, lengths 7–20 times widths, abruptly to gradually reduced distally, herbaceous to firm-herbaceous, margins scabro-ciliate, apices obtuse to acuminate, faces usually little and obscurely gland-dotted (26–47 dots per mm²), barely viscid (more so on exposed shores), glabrous or densely spreading-hirtellous.

Involucres

broadly campanulate to campanulate, 3–5.3 mm.

Ray florets

(7–)17–22(–35).

Disc florets

(3–)5–7(–13);

corollas 2.6–3.4 mm.

Phyllaries

often ± yellow basally, outer (at least) usually green-tipped, outer ovate, inner oblong, apices obtuse or broadly acute.

Heads

glomerulate, usually in flat-topped arrays (1.5–28 cm diam.), 10–28% of plant heights (branches unequal, giving irregular, broken appearance).

2n

= 18.

Euthamia graminifolia

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Open fields, lake shores, and vacant lots
Elevation 0–900 m (0–3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CO; CT; DE; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM [Introduced in Europe, Asia]
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants with densely hairy leaves and stems have been called var. nuttallii. Though extremes are distinct, the plants cannot be reliably separated rangewide from typical Euthamia graminifolia. Plants called var. major have been distinguished primarily on the basis of leaf dimensions (lengths 8–11 times widths in var. major versus 11–20 in typical E. graminifolia). Overlap is extensive; no discrete boundaries can be drawn.

Euthamia hirtipes was described as a putative hybrid involving a hairy E. graminifolia and a small-headed E. caroliniana (M. L. Fernald 1946d). It combines broad, hairy leaf blades with few-flowered heads, a condition that is not intermediate between the putative parents. D. J. Sieren and J. F. Merrit (1980) and C. E. Taylor (1975) reviewed the plants. Until evidence can be supplied to the contrary, E. hirtipes should be considered a synonym of E. graminifolia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 99.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Euthamia
Sibling taxa
E. caroliniana, E. gymnospermoides, E. leptocephala, E. occidentalis
Synonyms Chrysocoma graminifolia, E. fastigiata, E. floribunda, E. graminifolia var. major, E. graminifolia var. nuttallii, E. hirtipes, Solidago camporum var. tricostata, Solidago graminifolia var. major, Solidago graminifolia var. septentrionalis, Solidago hirtipes, Solidago lanceolata
Name authority (Linnaeus) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 325. (1840)
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