918 Compositae Solidago 



a. Stems pubescent, scabrous-puberulent or somewhat hispid, 

 rarely glabrous above the base. 

 Pappus of long bristles, much longer than the achenes. 

 Lower stem leaves and usually those of rootshoots 

 oblanceolate. 

 Lower stem leaves 3-6.25 times as long as wide; in- 

 volucres 3-4.5 mm high 14. S. nemoralis. 



Lower stem leaves 7-10 times as long as wide; in- 

 volucres 4.5-5.5 mm high 



14a. S. nemoralis var. decemflora. 



Lower stem leaves ovate or oblong-lanceolate to ellip- 

 tic. 



Leaves tapering at the base 17. S. rugosa. 



Leaves rounded at the base. 



Blades more than two and a half times as long as 



wide; pedicels mostly with 1-5 bracts 



17a. S. rugosa var. aspera. 



Blades less than two and a half times as long as 



wide; pedicels mostly with 3-9 bracts 



17b. S. rugosa var. celtidifolia 



Pappus as long as or shorter than the achenes. 



Pappus (about 0.5 mm long) about half as long as the 

 achenes; leaves of rootshoots broadly ovate, cor- 

 date at the base 19. S. sphacelata. 



Pappus (about 1 mm long) as long as the achenes. . . . 



20. S. ovata. 



D. Heads not secund; plants of a dry sandy soil, mostly of northern 



Indiana or of crests of the higher ridges of southern Indiana; 



stems glabrous to the inflorescence; leaves glabrous except the 



ciliate margins; achenes glabrous when mature. 



Lowest stem leaves oval, never widest above the middle; corolla 



lobes mostly 0.8-1.1 mm long; mature achenes mostly 1-2.3 



(2.5) mm long 21. S. speciosa. 



Lowest stem leaves usually slightly broadest above the middle; 

 corolla lobes mostly 1.4-1.8 mm long; mature achenes mostly 



(2) 2.5-3.5 mm long 5. S. erecta. 



C Inflorescence corymbose, not at all racemose. 



Leaves of an ovate, oval or oblong type; pubescent above and below; 



plants of a dry habitat 22. S. rigida. 



Leaves of a linear or lanceolate type, glabrous both above and below; 



leaves of the rootshoots half the length of the plant or longer; 



plants of a boggy or marshy habitat. 



Plants entirely glabrous except for the margins of the leaves; 



leaves of the rootshoots obtuse at the apex; cauline leaves 



not clasping at the base, always flat 23. S. ohioensis. 



Plants usually pubescent in the inflorescence; leaves of the root- 

 shoots acute at the apex; cauline leaves sheathing at the base, 

 some or all somewhat folded, at least the lower ones usually 



recurving 24. S. RirfdeUii. 



A. Heads sessile or subsessile; inflorescence a corymb. 



Largest leaves 5-nerved, i.e., with 3 prominent and 2 less distinct nerves. 

 Stem, branches, pedicels, and leaves minutely and usually densely short- 

 pubescent 25. S. graminifolia var. Nuttallii. 



Stem, branches, and leaves except the margins glabrous. (See excluded species 



no. 613, p. 1 095) S. graminifolia. 



Largest leaves 3-nerved, i.e., with a prominent midrib and 2 faint lateral nerves. 

 Heads glomerate, in clusters of 3-7; lower branches floriferous. . .26. S. media. 



