Figure 12. Few-flowered goldenrod 

 ( Solidaqo sparsif lora ) illustration 



bracts; involucre 4-6 mm (.16-. 24 in) tall; involucral 

 bracts acute to acuminate; ray florets 8 or less; disk 

 florets of about the same number. Achenes hispidulous 

 (Great Plains Flora Association 1986) . 



LOCAL FIELD CHARACTERS: Six other species of goldenrod are 

 in plains of eastern and central Montana and have the same 

 general growth form of well-developed, slender creeping 

 rhizomes that form clonal clusters, and well-developed stem 

 leaves compared to basal leaves which are lacking or small. 

 Few-flowered goldenrod has leaves over 1 cm (.4 in) wide, 

 unlike the two linear-leaved species which are known or 

 reported from the area. Few-flowered goldenrod has stems 

 which are pubescent at least between the infloresence and 

 the middle of the stem, unlike Solidaqo giqantea and S. 

 missouriensis which have glabrous stems (rarely pubescent 

 and with a basal cluster of leaves) . Few-flowered goldenrod 

 is distinguished from the other two species by technical 

 flower characters. It differs from Solidaqo mollis in 

 having involucral bracts mostly broadest at base and acute 

 at tip, vs. broadest near middle and obtuse at tip. It 

 differs from S. canadensis in having ray flowers 3-6 mm 

 (.12-. 24 in) long and usually 8 or fewer per head, vs. ray 

 flowers 1-4 mm (.04-. 06 in) long and usually about 13 per 

 head. 



