Solidago flexicaulis
Solidago gigantea
broad-leaf goldenrod, verge d'or à tige zigzaguante, zig-zag goldenrod
buffalo-bur, giant goldenrod, late goldenrod, smooth goldenrod, tall or giant or smooth goldenrod, verge d'or géante
1–5+, flexuous, sparsely to moderately hairy in arrays.
1–20+ or clustered, erect, glabrous or sparsely strigose in arrays, sometimes glaucous.
rosettes present at flowering;
basal and proximal cauline tapering to winged petioles, blades ovate, (70–)100–140(–180) × (27–)40–60(–80) mm (petioles 1/4–1/2 total leaf length), margins serrate-serrulate [teeth (14–)21–33(–45)], abaxial faces glabrous or moderately hairy, more densely so on nerves, adaxial glabrous or sparsely hairy;
mid to distal cauline sessile, blades narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 38–90(–150) × 10–30(–55) mm, reduced distally, becoming lanceolate in arrays, bases tapering, margins entire to serrate, apices acuminate to cuspidate, faces glabrous or sparsely hairy, abaxial glabrous or moderately hairy, more densely so along nerves.
basal 0;
proximal cauline usually withering by flowering time, sessile, lanceolate, 91–97 × 10–14 mm, margins sharply serrate, 3-nerved, apices acuminate, abaxial faces pilose on nerves or glabrous;
mid to distal cauline similar, 57–76 × 0.7–1.2 cm, largest toward mid stem, decreasing distally.
0.5–5 mm, moderately to densely strigose;
bracteoles 1–3, lanceolate, usually near base of involucres and grading into phyllaries.
1.5–3 mm, sparsely to densely strigillose;
bracteoles 0–2, linear-lanceolate.
campanulate, 4.5–7(–8) mm.
campanulate, (2–)2.5–4(–5) mm.
1–5;
laminae (2–)2.5–4(–5) × 0.7–2 mm.
(7–)9–15(–24) (conspicuous);
laminae 1–3 × (0.1–)0.2–0.4 mm.
4–8(–11);
corollas 2–3(–4) mm, lobes 1–1.6(–2) mm.
(4–)7–12(–17);
corollas (2.5–)3–3.5(–4.5) mm, lobes 0.6–1(–1.4) mm.
in ca. 3 series, strongly unequal, outermost 1–2 mm, innermost 3.7–4.7(–5.7) mm, linear-oblong, 1-nerved, apices obtuse to acute.
in 3–4 series, unequal, acute;
outer lanceolate, inner linear-lanceolate (hexaploids from far west can have minute stipitate glands, especially near base of outer phyllaries and peduncle bracts).
25–250, in short axillary and terminal racemiform clusters, lateral panicles (2–)7–31(–56) cm.
40–600, secund, in broadly secund, pyramidal paniculiform arrays, rarely rhombic or club-shaped, proximal branches divergent, recurved, glabrous-glabrate or strigose, sometimes glaucous.
(obconic) 1–2(–3) mm, moderately to densely strigose;
pappi 3–4.5 mm.
1.3–1.5 mm, sparsely strigose;
pappi 2–2.5 mm.
= 18, 36.
=18, 36, 54.
Solidago flexicaulis
Solidago gigantea
The two cytotypes of Solidago flexicaulis show a strong geographic pattern. Diploids mostly occur east of the Appalachians except in the southwestern portion of the range, while tetraploids occur west of the mountains (J. G. Chmielewski and J. C. Semple 1985). The report of 2n = 90 for the species (Semple et al. 1993) was based on a specimen of the recently described Solidago faucibus. The significance of ploidy level on cypselae traits was analyzed in detail by Chmielewski et al. (1989).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solidago gigantea is usually the least hairy species of the S. canadensis complex. The stems may be somewhat glaucous and the array is usually somewhat more open than in S. canadensis and S. altissima, and less leafy than S. lepida. Its blooming season begins and ends earlier than S. altissima in eastern North America. The species is diploid, mostly east of the Appalachian Mountains, tetraploid throughout the eastern forest area, and hexaploid on the prairies. The broader-leaved hexaploids on the prairies have been treated as S. shinnersii; G. H. Morton (1984) indicated that the differences are not diagnostic. Reports of hexaploids in the mountains from Alberta, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and northwestern Wyoming all have minute stipitate glands on the phyllaries, peduncle bracts, and sometimes the distalmost leaves; such plants belong in S. lepida, as do plants from British Columbia. Stems sometimes have 1–2 elongate insect galls near the base (S. Heard, pers. comm.). Although reported from much of Florida, specimens were seen only from Liberty County; all other collections are S. leavenworthii.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
