Solidago hispida
Solidago delicatula
hairy goldenrod, verge d'or hispide
smooth elm-leaf goldenrod
1(–5), erect, simple, glabrous or moderately to densely hispido-villous, sometimes hairs appressed.
1–10+, essentially glabrous.
basal and proximal cauline tapering to winged petioles, blades broadly oblanceolate to obovate or elliptic, 35–200 (including petioles) × 15–60 mm, margins serrate or crenate, apices acute, faces sparsely to densely hispido-villous, rarely glabrous;
mid and distal cauline sessile, blades elliptic, 15–30 × 5–7 mm, rapidly reduced distally, margins entire.
basal and proximal cauline tapering to short petioles, blades oblanceolate, 50–70 × 10–20 mm, margins serrate, scabroso-strigose, apices acute to acuminate, faces glabrous;
mid and distal cauline subpetiolate or sessile, blades elliptic-lanceolate, 30–70 × 7–15 mm, gradually reduced distally, tapering to bases, margins serrate, scabroso-strigose;
branch leaves similar, reduced to bracts distally.
1.5–2.5 mm, hispido-villous to canescent.
2–5 mm, bracteolate, glabrous;
bracteoles grading into phyllaries.
campanulate, 4–6 mm.
narrowly campanulate, 3–5 mm.
6–14;
laminae 1.5–4.5 × 0.5–1 mm.
1–4;
laminae 1–2 × 0.5–0.8 mm.
6–12;
corollas 3–4.5 mm, lobes 0.6–1.2 mm.
4–6;
corollas 2.5 mm, lobes 1 mm.
in 3–4 series, appressed, strongly unequal, midribs and tips conspicuously green, margins white, scarious, apices obtuse, glabrous or moderately strigose.
in 3–4 series, linear-lanceolate, strongly unequal, acute to ± attenuate, glabrous.
8–250+ in usually wand-paniculiform arrays of short axillary and terminal racemiform, non-secund clusters, sometimes proximal branches elongated, ascending and bearing short axillary and terminal racemiform clusters.
160–480 in paniculiform arrays, with a strongly secund, primary, arching axis and nearly always 4–5(–8) leafy, elongate, arching, secund, proximal branches.
(narrowly obconic) 1–2.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi 2.5–4 mm (sometimes distinctly clavate).
1.5–2 mm (6–9 ribs), sparsely strigose, more so apically;
pappi 1.5–2 mm.
= 18.
= 18.
Solidago hispida
Solidago delicatula
Ray floret color can fade with time, both in the field and on dried specimens, making it difficult to distinguish Solidago hispida from S. bicolor, in which it has sometimes been included. The latter tends to have slightly broader phyllaries and more obviously clavate pappus bristles. The two co-occur in some populations but do not appear to form hybrid swarms with a range in ray corolla color. Three varieties have been described on the basis of growth and pubescence features and are sometimes recognized. These may represent only extremes in continua of variation. Variety lanata has densely villous stems and leaves; such plants occur scattered through much of the range of the species. Two glabrous-stemmed varieties have been described; plants of var. tonsa are relatively small and were first described from Newfoundland; var. huronensis includes relatively tall glabrous plants found growing in sand dunes along the shore of Lake Huron in Michigan and Ontario. The latter plants have been treated as var. tonsa but the name is misapplied. Other varietal names are based on minor variations.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solidago delicatula is similar to S. ulmifolia, but is essentially glabrous (except for leaf margins) with smaller, more numerous, less conspicuously veiny leaves. It is sufficiently distinct from S. ulmifolia that inclusion in that species as var. microphylla does not appear warranted. Reports from Alabama, western Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi are likely just smaller-leaved S. ulmifolia. Solidago helleri Small may be a hybrid between S. delicatula and S. ulmifolia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Go Botany
IL Wildflowers
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
MO Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
KS Wildflowers
