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bushy goldentop, Mississippi Valley goldentop

western goldenrod, western goldentop

Habit Perennials or subshrubs, 30–100 cm. Perennials or subshrubs, 40–200 cm.
Stems

(erect, striate-angled) glabrous, not glaucous.

(erect, stout) glabrous, glaucous.

Leaves

ascending to spreading-ascending;

blades 3- or -5-nerved, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 40–80 × 3–6(–9) mm, lengths 8–18 times widths, abruptly reduced distally, firm-herbaceous, margins scabrous, apices mostly acute, faces glabrous, little and obscurely gland-dotted (9–29 dots per mm²), sometimes pustulate.

spreading-ascending to erect;

blades 3- or -5-nerved, linear, 82–100 × 4.3–10 mm, lengths 10–27 times widths, gradually to abruptly reduced distally, herbaceous to firm-herbaceous, margins scabrous, apices abruptly acute to acuminate, faces ± gland-dotted (18–56 dots per mm²), adaxial and vein axils often sparsely hairy.

Involucres

obconic, 4–6 mm.

campanulate, 3.7–4.9 mm.

Ray florets

usually 7–14.

(15–)17–22(–28).

Disc florets

3–6;

corollas 3.3–4.4 mm.

(7–)9–11(–18);

corollas 3.1–4.2 mm.

Phyllaries

yellowish at bases, usually green-tipped, outer narrowly ovate, inner nearly linear, apices rounded to subacute (sometimes slightly resinous).

stramineous, sometimes green-tipped, outer narrowly lanceolate, inner linear (firm), apices acute to acuminate.

Heads

glomerate or pedunculate, in compact, usually round-topped arrays 6–35% of plant heights.

mostly pedunculate, in relatively narrow, elongate arrays 33–60% of plant heights (often interrupted and with multiple levels).

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Euthamia leptocephala

Euthamia occidentalis

Phenology Flowering Sep–Nov. Flowering Jul–Nov.
Habitat Moist, sandy soils of open areas, woodlands, and forest openings Moist to wet soils of streambeds, lake shores, and fresh to saline marshes
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 0–1600 m (0–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MO; MS; NC; OK; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NE; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

I have seen no specimens of Euthamia leptocephala from Kentucky; it is to be expected there.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 100. FNA vol. 20, p. 100.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Euthamia Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Euthamia
Sibling taxa
E. caroliniana, E. graminifolia, E. gymnospermoides, E. occidentalis
E. caroliniana, E. graminifolia, E. gymnospermoides, E. leptocephala
Synonyms Solidago leptocephala E. californica, E. linearifolia, Solidago occidentalis
Name authority (Torrey & A. Gray) Greene ex Porter & Britton: Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 321. (1894) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 326. (1840)
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