Solidago hispida
Solidago plumosa
hairy goldenrod, verge d'or hispide
plumed goldenrod, plumose goldenrod
1(–5), erect, simple, glabrous or moderately to densely hispido-villous, sometimes hairs appressed.
glabrous, viscid-resinous.
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 petiolate;
blades tapering to petioles, linear to elliptic-oblanceolate, 100–150 (–220) (including petiole) × 5–10(–15) mm, margins serrate, apices acute to obtuse; the outer much smaller;
mid and distal similar to basal, becoming sessile, mid 40–60 × 2–4 mm, distally reduced (in arrays) to linear bracts 10–35 × 1–2 mm, entire.
1.5–2.5 mm, hispido-villous to canescent.
2–6 mm, glabrous, sometimes resinous-glandular;
bracteoles linear, 0–5.
campanulate, 4–6 mm.
campanulate, 4.5–6 mm.
6–14;
laminae 1.5–4.5 × 0.5–1 mm.
3–6;
laminae 3.5–5 × 1 mm.
6–12;
corollas 3–4.5 mm, lobes 0.6–1.2 mm.
mostly 8–10;
corollas 4.5–5.5 mm, lobes 0.8–1.2 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) lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, strongly unequal, apices rounded, glabrous, somewhat resinous.
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.
in paniculiform arrays, 15–30 cm, branches ascending, 2–10 cm, not secund in erect stems, secund in arching ones.
(narrowly obconic) 1–2.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi 2.5–4 mm (sometimes distinctly clavate).
obconic, ca. 2.5 mm, shallowly ribbed, glabrous;
pappi 4–5 mm.
= 18.
= 18.
Solidago hispida
Solidago plumosa
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Solidago plumosa is known only from a short stretch of the Falls Yadkin River, Stanley County. This species is similar to S. simplex var. racemosa and possibly conspecific with S. simplex. Insufficient material of this taxon has limited study. Known only from the type material since its description, it has been found recently, locally abundant along the Yadkin River at the type locality (A. Weakly, pers. comm.).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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