36 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XVIII, No. 2, 



Solidago L. Goldenrod. 



Perennial herbs with simple or little branched stems, often 

 somewhat woody at the base. Leaves alternate, toothed or 

 entire. Some species with nodding tips. Heads several in 

 a terminal or axillary panicle, thyrsus, or cymose, corymbose or 

 capitate cluster; involucre oblong or narrowly campanulate, of 

 appressed bracts imbricated in several series, the outer suc- 

 cessively shorter; both ray and disk flowers yellow or rarely 

 white; disk flowers mostly bisporangiate, ray flowers sometimes 

 carpellate. Pappus of simple even capillary bristles. 



Key to the Species. 



1. Heads in axillary clusters, in a terminal spike-like thyrsus, in a typical 

 thyrsus either with normal or secund branches; not flat- topped. 2. 



1. Heads in a terminal corymbiform or thyrsoid cyme forming a flat-topped 



inflorescence. 20. 



2. Heads in axillary clusters along the stem or the upper forming a spike-like or 



somewhat branched thyrsus. 3. 



2. Heads in a terminal thyrsus or panical either simple or much branched, often 



secund. 8. 



3. Involucre bracts with prominently spreading herbaceous tips. 5. sqiiarrosa. 



3. Involucre bracts without spreading tips, wholly appressed. 4. 



4. Rays white; lower leaves mostly obtuse, more or less pubescent. S. bicolor. 



4. Rays yellow. 5. 



5. Stem densely pubescent; ovulary glabrous. S.hispida. 



5. Stem glabrous or sparingly pubescent. 6. 



6. Stem leaves broadly ovate, acuminate, sharply and coarsely serrate, some- 



times glabrous; ovulary pubescent. 5. flexocialus. 



6. Stem leaves lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate. 7. 



7. Stem leaves acuminate, lanceolate; ovulary pubescent. 5. caesia. 



7. Stem leaves merely acute, broadly lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate; ovulary 



glabrous or nearly so. S. erecta. 



8. Heads in a slender more or less wand-like thyrsoid panicle, not secund on the 



branches or only slightly so; leaves not triple veined. 9. 



8. Heads in a large usually dense panicle, secund on its slender or recurved 



branches. 11. 



9. Inflorescence an oblong thyrsus; growing in bogs and on wet shores. 



5. uliginosa. 

 9. Inflorescence a pyramidal or thyrsiform panicle with numerous erect racemes; 



upland species. 10. 

 10. Lower leaves ovate to broadly oval, serrate. S. speciosa. 



10. Lower leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, entire. S. rigidiiiscula. 



11. Leaves triple nerved with a pair of lateral veins much stronger than the 



others. 12. 



11. Leaves not triple nerved. 14. 



12. Leaves rather narrowly lanceolate, the two lateral veins very prominent. 13. 



12. Leaves oblanceolate or spatulate-oblong, the 2 lateral veins obscure; stem 



very pubescent at the base. ' 5. nemoralis. 



13. Stem minutely pubescent above; involucre less than 3^ in. high. 5. canadensis. 



13. Stem glabrous throughout except in the inflorescence, often glaucotis; invol- 



ucre more than '« "''• liigh. 5. serotina. 



14. Stem densely' pulK>scent; leaves more or less so. 15. 



14. Stem glabrous or merely pubescent above. 16. 



15. Leaves rugose-veiny beneath, sharply serrate, oval to oblong-lanceolate. 



5. rugosa. 



15. Veins not prominent; leaves sometimes more or less triple nerved, somewhat 



serrate, oblanceolate to spatulate-oblong. 5. tiemoralis. 



