Solidago sect. Ptarmicoidei
Solidago houghtonii
Houghton's goldenrod
1–5+, erect, slender, glabrous.
basal (rosettes) usually present at flowering, largest;
petiole bases or vasculature persisting on rhizomes;
proximalmost cauline petiolate, often present but withered at flowering;
proximal and distal usually with 1 prominent nerve (multiple nerves proximally in S. riddellii).
basal tapering to long, winged petioles, blades ovate, to 7–22 mm wide, margins entire, apices acute, faces glabrous;
proximal cauline tapering to winged petiole-like bases partially clasping stems, blades sometimes 3-nerved (2 prominent lateral nerves arising proximally and running alongside midnerve for some distance before diverging), linear oblanceolate, 158–177 × 7–22 mm, margins entire, ciliate, apices acute to obtuse, glabrous;
mid to distal sessile, blades linear lanceolate, mid often 3-nerved (obscurely sometimes), distal 1-nerved, 47–100 × 4–10 mm, reduced distally.
5–6.2 mm, sparsely to moderately strigillose;
bracteoles 0–2, linear.
campanulate, (5.5–)6–8(–9) mm.
6–12 (pale to bright yellow);
laminae 7.4–7.9 × 0.5–0.6 mm.
8–15;
corollas 4–4.3 mm, lobes 0.9–1.5 mm.
striate with 3–7 nerves (except S. ptarmicoides), eglandular.
in 3–4 series, unequal, linear to oblanceolate, margins ciliate, weakly striate, obtuse to rounded.
in flat-topped to rounded corymbiform arrays, sometimes glomerulate.
(2–)5–50(–100+), not secund, in corymbiform arrays, branches and peduncles glabrous or moderately strigillose.
obconic, 1.4–1.8 mm, glabrous, ribs sometimes dark;
pappi of bristles 4–5.5 mm, clavate.
bristles in 2 series (outer not clavate, inner longest, somewhat to strongly clavate).
= 54.
Solidago sect. Ptarmicoidei
Solidago houghtonii
Species 6 (6 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The large involucres and the presence of the unique 3-nerved proximal and mid cauline leaves distinguish Solidago houghtonii from other taxa in sect. Ptarmicoidei. The 3-nerved venation pattern may be morphologic evidence of a hybrid origin for S. houghtoni between a parallel-nerved member of sect. Ptarmicoidei and a 3-nerved member of subsect. Triplinerviae. Molecular data indicate that S. gigantea may have been one of the parental species (P. Laureto, pers. comm.).
Reports of Solidago houghtonii from New York have been rejected as being based on misidentified specimens (J. K. Morton 1979). Some collections have the large involucres typical of S. houghtonii; molecular data indicate that the species is present in Genessee County, New York (P. Laureto, pers. comm.).
Solidago houghtonii can be difficult to distinguish from S. ohioensis × S. ptarmicoides hybrids because both have hairy peduncles in arrays. The hybrids have pale yellow rays even when fresh; post-flowering rays of S. houghtonii can be pale yellow. J. K. Morton (1979) hypothesized an allopolyploid origin for the hexaploid S. houghtonii via an unreduced gamete of S. ohioensis × S. ptarmicoides backcrossed to S. ohioensis with subsequent chromosome doubling. Additional work is needed to confirm this hypothesis. An aberrant collection (M. R. Penskar 1067, MICH) had about 400 heads (mostly in bud) due to axillary branches developing along nearly the entire stem; stems usually have fewer than 50 heads. Some plants from Michigan are more robust than those found in Ontario.
Solidago houghtonii is listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened in Michigan. It is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves, stems and peduncles moderately to densely short-hairy; distal cauline leaf bladesovate, flat, never folded along midrib | S. rigida |
1. Leaves, stems, and peduncles glabrous or sparsely hairy; distal leaf blades linear to lanceolate, sometimes folded along midrib | → 2 |
2. Rays white (rarely cream); leaf blades linear, stiff, glabrous or sparsely hairy | S. ptarmicoides |
2. Rays yellow; leaf blades linear to linear-lanceolate, stiff or flexible, glabrous | → 3 |
3. Rays 1–4, peduncles usually sparsely to moderately strigillose; Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas | S. nitida |
3. Rays 6–12, peduncles glabrous or moderately strigillose; Manitoba, midwestern and Great Lakes states s to e Missouri | → 4 |
4. Involucres (5.5–)6–8(–9) mm; proximal and mid cauline leaves usually 3-nerved (sometimes obscurely), the 2 prominent lateral nerves arising proximally and running alongside midnerve for some distance before abruptly diverging; heads usually 10–30(–50)(–100+ rarely, in aberrant plants); plants 30–60+ cm; rays occasionally lighter yellow with age (damp,interdunal hollows, limestone alvars, Michigan, Ontario) | S. houghtonii |
4. Involucres 4–6 mm; mid and distal cauline leaves not 3-nerved or if so then nerves parallel and not abruptly diverging; heads usually (10– on shorter stems)50–400; plants 40–120 cm | → 5 |
5. Leaves flat, only 1 nerve prominent; arrays corymbiform; dunes, marshes, along rivers,Great Lakes area, New York to Illinois and Wisconsin | S. ohioensis |
5. Leaves folded along midrib and with (2–)3–8 prominent nerves at base; arrays somewhat paniculiform with rounded corymbiform branches; moist ground, sw Ontario toWisconsin and se Manitoba, sw to e Missouri | S. riddellii |
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