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Cascade Canada goldenrod, narrow goldenrod, west coast Canada goldenrod, west coast goldenrod, west coast or Cascade Canada goldenrod

Canada goldenrod, late goldenrod, tall goldenrod, verge d'or haute

Habit Plants 25–150 cm; rhizomes short to long creeping, forming few- to many-stemmed clones. Plants 50–200 cm; rhizomes short- to long-creeping.
Stems

1–20+, erect, proximally sparsely to moderately strigoso-villous, distally usually moderately to densely so.

1–40+, usually short-hairy throughout, sometimes proximally glabrescent.

Leaves

basal 0;

proximal cauline sessile, blades narrowly to broadly oblanceolate, 35–75(–100) × (6–)7.5–14(–20) mm, proximal much smaller, tapering to bases, margins subentire or finely serrulate to coarsely, sharply serrate (teeth 0–9 per side), ciliate, 3-nerved, sometimes obscurely so, apices acute, abaxial faces glabrate to sparsely short-strigose, adaxial glabrous;

mid to distal cauline sessile, blades oblanceolate, becoming lanceolate distally, 20–60 × 4–8(–11) mm, largest near mid stem, somewhat to much reduced distally, margins entire or finely serrulate, rarely serrate (teeth 1–8 per side), usually becoming entire to sparsely serrulate distally, ciliate, apices acute, faces glabrous or sparsely strigoso-villous, more so along abaxial nerves.

basal 0;

proximal cauline usually withering by flowering;

sessile or subpetiolate, tapering to bases;

blades oblanceolate, 95–150 × 16–20 mm, relatively thick and firm, entire to serrate along distal 1/2, strongly 3-nerved, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces finely strigose, more so along nerves, adaxial ± scabrous;

mid to distal cauline blades oblanceolate (proximally) to lanceolate (distally), mid (30–)45–100(–170) × (5–)7–16(–25) mm, much reduced distally [(15–)25–55 × (3–)4.5–10(–17) mm], margins finely serrate (teeth 0–6(–14) per side on mid), distally usually becoming entire or remotely serrulate, adaxial faces ± scabrous, abaxial moderately strigillose, densely villoso-strigillose along nerves, distal sometimes minutely stipitate-glandular.

Peduncles

2–7 mm, sparsely to moderately short strigoso-villous;

bracteoles 1–3, linear, rarely minutely stipitate-glandular.

1–3.5 mm, moderately densely short hispiduloso-strigillose, sometimes minutely stipitate-glandular;

bracteoles linear, sometimes minutely stipitate-glandular.

Involucres

narrowly campanulate, 2.5–3.5(–4) mm.

narrowly campanulate, 2.5–4.5 mm.

Ray florets

(8–)11–15(–17);

laminae 1–2.5 × 0.1–0.4(–0.7) mm.

(5–)8–13(–17);

laminae 0.7–1.5(–2) × 0.1–0.4(–0.5) mm.

Disc florets

(3–)5–11(–16);

corollas 2.6–3.7(–4) mm, lobes 0.5–1.2 mm.

(2–)3–6(–9);

corollas usually 2.3–3.6 mm, lobes 0.5–0.9(–1.2) mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–4 series, strongly unequal, margins sparsely long ciliate, acute, faces glabrous, rarely sparsely minutely stipitate-glandular;

outer lanceolate, inner linear-lanceolate.

in ca. 3 series, strongly unequal;

outer lanceolate, acute, inner linear-lanceolate, margins rarely minutely stipitate-glandular, apices acute to obtuse.

Heads

12–500+, sometimes secund, in short to long, thyrsiform or narrowly secund-pyramidal paniculiform arrays, usually congested, club-shaped to rarely wand-shaped, (2.5–) 10–20 × (2–)4–8(–10) cm, branches usually ascending or sometimes arching spreading.

(15–)100–1200+, secund, in secund, pyramidal, paniculiform arrays, branches divergent and recurved, sometimes ascending-divergent, sometimes merely club-shaped thyrsiform in small plants, 5–30 × 2–25 cm (often 1.5–2 times as long as wide in southern plants).

Cypselae

(narrowly obconic) 1–1.5 mm, sparsely to moderately strigose;

pappi 2.5–3.3 mm.

(narrowly obconic) 0.5–1.5 mm, sparsely to moderately strigillose;

pappi 2.5–3.5 mm.

2n

= 18, 36.

Solidago elongata

Solidago altissima

Phenology Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Sandy, gravelly soils, coastal headlands, thickets, open woods, meadows, along streams and creeks
Elevation 0–2800 m (0–9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Mexico [Introduced worldwide]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In California, coastal plants of Solidago elongata often have thicker leaves; those of the Sierras are often membranous and obscurely triple-nerved. This species can be similar to S. lepida, which usually has much larger distal cauline leaves.

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

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Involucres usually 3–4 mm; Arizona, California, and Utah, edge of Great plains eastward through e United States, northward in Canada to Nova Scotia and w to Saskatchewan, n of prairies
subsp. altissima
1. Involucres usually 2–3 mm; Great plains e toIllinois
subsp. gilvocanescens
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 154. FNA vol. 20, p. 153.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Solidago > sect. Solidago > subsect. Triplinerviae Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Solidago > sect. Solidago > subsect. Triplinerviae
Sibling taxa
S. albopilosa, S. altiplanities, S. altissima, S. arenicola, S. arguta, S. auriculata, S. bicolor, S. brachyphylla, S. buckleyi, S. caesia, S. canadensis, S. confinis, S. curtisii, S. delicatula, S. drummondii, S. erecta, S. faucibus, S. fistulosa, S. flexicaulis, S. gattingeri, S. gigantea, S. glomerata, S. guiradonis, S. hispida, S. houghtonii, S. juliae, S. juncea, S. kralii, S. lancifolia, S. latissimifolia, S. leavenworthii, S. leiocarpa, S. lepida, S. ludoviciana, S. macrophylla, S. missouriensis, S. mollis, S. multiradiata, S. nana, S. nemoralis, S. nitida, S. odora, S. ohioensis, S. ouachitensis, S. patula, S. petiolaris, S. pinetorum, S. plumosa, S. ptarmicoides, S. puberula, S. pulchra, S. radula, S. riddellii, S. rigida, S. roanensis, S. rugosa, S. rupestris, S. sciaphila, S. sempervirens, S. shortii, S. simplex, S. spathulata, S. speciosa, S. spectabilis, S. sphacelata, S. spithamaea, S. squarrosa, S. stricta, S. tarda, S. tortifolia, S. uliginosa, S. ulmifolia, S. velutina, S. verna, S. villosicarpa, S. wrightii
S. albopilosa, S. altiplanities, S. arenicola, S. arguta, S. auriculata, S. bicolor, S. brachyphylla, S. buckleyi, S. caesia, S. canadensis, S. confinis, S. curtisii, S. delicatula, S. drummondii, S. elongata, S. erecta, S. faucibus, S. fistulosa, S. flexicaulis, S. gattingeri, S. gigantea, S. glomerata, S. guiradonis, S. hispida, S. houghtonii, S. juliae, S. juncea, S. kralii, S. lancifolia, S. latissimifolia, S. leavenworthii, S. leiocarpa, S. lepida, S. ludoviciana, S. macrophylla, S. missouriensis, S. mollis, S. multiradiata, S. nana, S. nemoralis, S. nitida, S. odora, S. ohioensis, S. ouachitensis, S. patula, S. petiolaris, S. pinetorum, S. plumosa, S. ptarmicoides, S. puberula, S. pulchra, S. radula, S. riddellii, S. rigida, S. roanensis, S. rugosa, S. rupestris, S. sciaphila, S. sempervirens, S. shortii, S. simplex, S. spathulata, S. speciosa, S. spectabilis, S. sphacelata, S. spithamaea, S. squarrosa, S. stricta, S. tarda, S. tortifolia, S. uliginosa, S. ulmifolia, S. velutina, S. verna, S. villosicarpa, S. wrightii
Subordinate taxa
S. altissima subsp. altissima, S. altissima subsp. gilvocanescens
Synonyms S. canadensis subsp. elongata, S. caurina, S. elongata var. microcephala, S. lepida var. caurina, S. lepida var. elongata
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 327. (1841) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 878. (1753)
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