Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 343 



GOLDEN-RODS; Genus (Solidago). 



The Genus Solidago is a very large one, comprising 

 more than eighty species. They are the most fa- 

 miliar and abundant of our Fall flowers. The flowers 

 are always in clusters and with one exception they 

 are yellow or golden. The most common forms have 

 a simple wand-like stem topped with a long golden 

 spike, readily suggesting the common name of Gol- 

 den-rods. 



SILVER-ROD; WHITE GOLDEN-ROD (Solidago 

 bicolor) bears the distinction of being the only one 

 of our very numerous Golden-rods that does not have 

 golden flowers. Those of this species are white or 

 cream-colored. The stem is usually simple and at- 

 tains heights of from 10 to 30 inches. It is downy 

 and is rather closely set with rough, elliptical, slight- 

 ly toothed leaves. The clusters of flower heads grow 

 in racemes from the axils of the upper leaves or in 

 a cylindrical terminal spike. 



The cream-yellow tubular florets are surrounded 

 by from three to twelve white rays. As a rule, the 

 flower heads are not as closely crowded together as 

 in other species. Silver-rod blooms during August 

 and September on dry ground, frequently along road- 

 sides or the edges of woods, from N. B. to Minn, and 

 southwards to the Gulf. 



BLUE-STEMMED GOLDEN-ROD (Solidago cae- 

 sia) blooms during Sept. and Oct. The simple stem 

 is closely set with lanceolate, toothed leaves, and 

 from the axils of those on the upper half of the 

 stem, appear loose racemes of flowers. The heads 

 are rather larger than those of most of the Golden- 

 rods and have from three to five, comparatively long, 

 golden rays surrounding the tubular florets. 



This species has a somewhat bluish or purplish 

 cast to the stem; the arrangement of the flowers, 

 from the axils of the leaves, will serve best to iden- 

 tify it however. 



