Solidago speciosa
Solidago rupestris
noble goldenrod, showy goldenrod
rock goldenrod
1(–5), erect, glabrous proximally to strigillose in arrays.
1–10+, erect, proximally glabrous, increasingly puberulent distally into arrays.
basal and proximal cauline (sometimes withering by flowering) tapering to winged petioles, blades lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, 50–300 (including petiole) × 12–80 mm (sometimes firm), margins sharply serrate to crenate or entire, faces glabrate to sparsely strigillose;
mid to distal cauline sessile, blades narrowly ovate to lanceolate or elliptic, 25–90 × 5–30 mm, gradually reduced distally, margins serrulate to entire (distally), ciliate, faces glabrous or sparsely scabroso-strigose.
basal 0;
mid and distal cauline numerous (sometime 100+ per stem), crowded, sessile or subsessile;
blades linear-elliptic, mostly 50–120 × 6–12 mm, tapering at both ends, margins remotely serrulate or subentire, 3-nerved, faces glabrous or sometimes puberulent abaxially on midnerves.
1.5–3 mm, sparsely to moderately scabroso-strigillose;
bracteoles linear, grading into phyllaries, scattered along peduncles, clustered near heads.
1–3 mm, sparsely strigose;
bracteoles linear, 1–3.
narrowly campanulate, 4–6.5 mm.
narrowly campanulate, 2–3 mm.
(2–)3–7(–9);
laminae 3–4 × 0.5–1 mm.
mostly 7–11, 1–2 × 0.1–0.2 mm.
6–16;
corollas 2.5–4 mm, lobes 0.5–1.2 mm.
2–7;
corollas 2–3 mm, lobes 0.4–0.6 mm.
in 3–4 series, appressed, strongly unequal, outer ovate, mid and inner lanceolate, (midnerves often raised and thick) apices acute to obtuse or rounded, glabrous.
in 3–4 series, linear-lanceolate, strongly unequal, midribs raised, enlarged apically, apices acute to usually obtuse or rounded, apically ciliate.
15–300+, not secund, in usually dense, sometimes open, elongate, paniculiform to thyrsiform arrays, (5–)10–45 × (2–)3–7(–12) cm;
branches strongly ascending, often racemiform.
80–900+, in paniculiform arrays, branches recurved, secund.
(narrowly obconic) 1.6–2.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi 3–4.5 mm.
(narrowly obconic) 1–1.5 mm, sparsely strigillose;
pappi 2–2.5 mm.
= 18, 36.
Solidago speciosa
Solidago rupestris
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Solidago speciosa occurs scattered throughout its range, often in small populations. Five races have been acknowledged; only three varieties appear to warrant recognition. The species is divided into two nearly allopatric subspecies. The typical subspecies includes two varieties that are sometimes difficult to distinguish and considerably overlap in their ranges. The differences in size and number of leaves and persistence of the proximal cauline leaves may be caused in part by growing conditions.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solidago rupestris is similar to S. canadensis in head size but with fewer rays, and it is vegetatively more like S. gigantea. It is uncommon, occurring in a series of disjunct populations with an apparent gap between eastern and western areas of the range.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves pale green, somewhat glaucous; plants 30–80 cm; e Colorado, extreme w Oklahoma, and adjacent New Mexico, disjunct in Black Hills (S. speciosa subsp. pallida) | var. pallida |
1. Leaves usually dark green, not glaucous; plants usually 80–200 cm; e deciduous forest onto e prairies and oak savannas (S. speciosa subsp. speciosa) | → 2 |
2. Basal leaves usually present at flowering, (20–) 28–55 mm wide, often coarsely serrate; mid cauline leaves (10–)20–28 mm wide, not crowded, not stiff, not scabrous; e UnitedStates | var. speciosa |
2. Basal leaves persisting or not to flowering, 8–20 mm wide, often entire or shallowly serrate; mid cauline leaves 4–15(–20) mm wide, often crowded, usually stiff, often somewhat scabrous; w portions of deciduous forest and adjacent prairies, glade habitats further east | var. rigidiuscula |
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