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Photo is of parent taxon

stiff-leaf goldenrod

Habit Plants 30–150 cm; caudices branching, woody.
Stems

(robust) 60–150 cm, coarsely hispid (10–70 hairs/mm2) (hairs stiff).

1–10+, erect, stout, hairy.

Leaves

basal large, to 250 × 100 mm;

faces moderately to densely hispid (7–50 hairs/mm2);

mid to distal ovate, thick.

basal and proximal cauline usually present at flowering, abruptly narrowed to long petioles, blades ovate to rhombic, 80–200 × 24–50 mm, firm, flat, margins entire to crenate, sometimes undulate, apices obtuse to acute, faces densely hairy;

mid to distal cauline sessile, blades ovate, 30–50 × 15–17 mm, stiff, greatly reduced distally, margins entire or finely serrate, sometimes undulate, apices acute to obtuse.

Peduncles

densely hispido-strigose.

3–15 mm, strigillose-canescent, bracteoles 1–3, linear-lanceolate.

Involucres

campanulate, 6–8 mm.

Ray florets

6–13;

laminae 1.4–5.4 × 1.2–1.9 mm.

Disc florets

14–35;

corollas 4.3–6.1 mm, lobes 0.6–1.1 mm.

Disc corolla

lobes deep, 1.1–1.6 mm.

Phyllaries

outer hairy;

inner oblong to slightly spatulate, 0.8–1.4 mm wide, glabrate to puberulent.

in 3–4 series, unequal, oblong, conspicuously striate (3–5 pronounced nerves), obtuse.

Heads

usually in loose, open, spreading, flat-topped arrays, 3–20(–34) × (4.5–)6.5–18(–27) cm.

9–190, in corymbiform arrays, compact or branches long and spreading, densely hairy throughout.

Cypselae

glabrous.

(obconic) 0.8–1.7 mm (ribbed), glabrous or strigillose apically;

pappi 3–4 mm.

2n

= 18, 36.

Solidago rigida subsp. rigida

Solidago rigida

Phenology Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Prairies, glades, oak savannas, dry open areas especially on calcareous soils, disturbed grounds (railroads, etc.)
Elevation 0–400+ m (0–1300+ ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CT; DE; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CO; CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; WY; AB; MB; ON; SK
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

Solidago rigida is divided into three subspecies with distinct morphologies and partially overlapping ranges. Intermediates occur between the subspecies in areas of sympatry.

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

Key
1. Outer phyllaries glabrous; leaves and stems glabrous or ± hispid
subsp. glabrata
1. Outer phyllaries strigillose; leaves and stems moderately to densely hispid or strigose
→ 2
2. Inner phyllaries glabrate to sparsely strigillose, oblong and rounded; plants robust (60–150 cm); arrays loose, open; leaves and stems coarsely hispid (fewer than 50 hairs/mm 2)
subsp. rigida
2. Inner phyllaries conspicuously strigillose, often linear; plants usually short (30–70 cm), sometimes taller; arrays compact; leaves and stems finely and densely hispido-strigose (more than 50 hairs/mm 2)
subsp. humilis
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 163. FNA vol. 20, p. 163.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Solidago > sect. Ptarmicoidei > Solidago rigida Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Solidago > sect. Ptarmicoidei
Sibling taxa
S. rigida subsp. glabrata, S. rigida subsp. humilis
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. 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. 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. rigida subsp. glabrata, S. rigida subsp. humilis, S. rigida subsp. rigida
Synonyms Oligoneuron grandiflorum, S. grandiflora, S. rigida var. magna, S. rigida var. microcephala Aster rigidus, Oligoneuron rigidum
Name authority unknown Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 880. (1753)
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