Solidago speciosa
Solidago velutina
noble goldenrod, showy goldenrod
California goldenrod, three-nerve goldenrod, velvety goldenrod
1(–5), erect, glabrous proximally to strigillose in arrays.
1 (at ends of rhizomes), ascending to erect, glabrate proximally to sparsely to densely strigoso-puberulent distally.
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 and proximal cauline often persisting to flowering, gradually tapering to winged petioles, blades linear oblanceolate to oblanceolate, rarely spatulate, 50–120 × 8–30 mm, proximalmost much smaller, margins entire to sharply serrate, faces glabrate to moderately scabroso-strigose;
mid and distal cauline sessile or subsessille, blades elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, 10–50 × 3–12 mm, mid tapering to bases, somewhat to strongly 3-nerved, largest, usually much reduced distally, margins entire or sometimes distally serrate, apices acute, faces sparsely to densely strigoso-puberulent, sometimes softly so.
1.5–3 mm, sparsely to moderately scabroso-strigillose;
bracteoles linear, grading into phyllaries, scattered along peduncles, clustered near heads.
1–6 mm, sparsely to densely strigillose;
bracteoles 0–5, sometimes clustered near to and grading into phyllaries, linear-lanceolate.
narrowly campanulate, 4–6.5 mm.
campanulate, 3.5–6 mm.
(2–)3–7(–9);
laminae 3–4 × 0.5–1 mm.
6–12;
laminae 2.9–6.3 × 0.3–0.7(–1) mm.
6–16;
corollas 2.5–4 mm, lobes 0.5–1.2 mm.
5–17;
corollas 3.5–6 mm, lobes 0.8–1.7 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 3–5 series, lanceolate to oblong, strongly unequal, acute or sometimes obtuse, glabrous or sparsely strigillose.
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.
(2–)30–500, in narrow to broad, thyrsiform to secund-pyramidal paniculiform arrays, branches recurved, secund, congested to lax.
(narrowly obconic) 1.6–2.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi 3–4.5 mm.
0.7–2.7 mm, sparsely to densely strigillose;
pappi 2.5–4.7 mm.
Solidago speciosa
Solidago velutina
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.)
Subspecies 3 (2 in the flora).
G. L. Nesom (1993b) merged Solidago californica, S. sparsiflora, and S. velutina without recognizing any infraspecific taxa, as did A. Cronquist (1994). J. C. Semple et al. (1990) compared S. californica and S. sparsiflora to S. nemoralis and found that all three are significantly different in a multivariate analysis. Evidence for separating the two subspecies of S. nemoralis was greater than the support for separating S. californica and S. sparsiflora.
(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 |
1. Stems and leaves sparsely strigillose; outer phyllaries glabrate; Wyoming to e California, s to Arizona and New Mexico, Mexico | subsp. sparsiflora |
1. Stems and leaves moderately to densely strigillose; outer phyllaries sparsely strigillose; California and s Oregon | subsp. californica |
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