Solidago hispida
Solidago missouriensis
hairy goldenrod, verge d'or hispide
Missouri goldenrod, prairie goldenrod
1(–5), erect, simple, glabrous or moderately to densely hispido-villous, sometimes hairs appressed.
1–50+, erect, glabrous or sometimes sparsely strigose in arrays;
fascicles of small lateral branch leaves often present in axils.
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.
proximal cauline tapering to long, winged petioles, blades oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 50–100(–200) (including petiole) × (5–)10–20(–30) mm, margins entire to serrulate, usually 3-nerved (2 larger lateral nerves), apices acute, mucronate to acuminate and somewhat spinulose, glabrous;
mid to distal cauline sessile, blades lanceolate to linear, 40–60 × (2–)4–14 mm, rapidly reduced distally, margins entire, ciliate, faces glabrous.
1.5–2.5 mm, hispido-villous to canescent.
1.4–5 mm, glabrous or sparsely strigose;
bracteoles 0–3+, linear to lanceolate.
campanulate, 4–6 mm.
narrowly to broadly campanulate, 2.5–4.5 mm.
6–14;
laminae 1.5–4.5 × 0.5–1 mm.
5–14;
laminae 1.5–2(–4) × 0.2–0.5(–0.75) mm.
6–12;
corollas 3–4.5 mm, lobes 0.6–1.2 mm.
(6–)8–20;
corollas (2–)3–4 mm, lobes 0.4–1 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, strongly unequal, margins ciliate-fimbriate, especially apically;
outer ovate to lanceolate, acute to rounded, inner linear-ovate to oblong or linear-lanceolate, obtuse to rounded.
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.
10–210 in paniculiform arrays, broadly secund-pyramidal or more rhombic to transversely rhombic, (1.5–)3–12(–20) × (1.5–)3–12 cm;
branches glabrous with secund heads spreading and arching, sometimes ascending with non-secund heads.
(narrowly obconic) 1–2.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi 2.5–4 mm (sometimes distinctly clavate).
(obconic) 1–2 mm, glabrous or sparsely strigose;
pappi 2.5–3 mm.
= 18.
= 18, 36.
Solidago hispida
Solidago missouriensis
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 missouriensis was often introduced along railroad lines farther east. It is a highly variable species. In the east, it can be similar to S. juncea and is not always easily distinguished where ranges overlap. In the west, it can similar to smaller plants of S. spectabilis. It is distinguished from the related species by its usually 3-nerved proximal leaves and the usually thin, elongate rhizomes. Across the prairies the species is known to be diploid only (2n = 18). In the Rocky Mountains, tetraploids (2n = 36) are common, the diploids infrequent.
A number of varieties have been described. Shorter, often larger-headed plants (tetraploids when known) from the Rocky Mountains have been treated as var. missouriensis (including var. extraria). Taller, more leafy-stemmed plants, mostly from the eastern half of the range, but occasionally west to Washington, have been treated as var. fasciculata. Plants from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico with long, linear leaves have been treated as var. tenuissima. Larger-headed plants with narrow bracts from prairies west of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington have been treated as var. tolmieana. A. Cronquist (1994) opted not to recognize varieties, noting that all appeared to grade continuously into each other. A detailed study of the species is needed.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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