COMPOSITE FAMILY 





COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY 



Solidago graminifolia, (L.) Salisb. 



YeUow 



Flat-topped Goldenrod. 

 August-September 



Solidago: for derivation see altissima. 

 Graminifolia: Latin for grass-like leaves. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry soil of the Commons. 



THE PLANT: erect, two to four feet high; the stem panicu- 

 lately much branched, or rarely simple, hairless but some- 

 times slightly rough above. 



THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; linear-lanceolate; hav- 

 ing on the nerves of the lower surface minute rough hairs; 

 acute or tapering to a point at each end; sessile; entire; 

 with rough, short hairs on the margin; three to five nerved; 

 with few resinous dots (seen when leaf is held to the light) . 



THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, clustered in a flat-topped 

 modified cyme; involucre ovoid bell-shaped, its bracts ob- 

 long or oblong-lanceolate; the flower heads slightly 

 fragrant. 



THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus consisting of bristles. 



This Goldenrod is very difficult to distinguish from the 

 tenuifolia, which, in habitat and appearance, is a close 

 neighbour. In general, this, the graminifolia, is the 

 coarser plant. Or a more accurate distinction, lies in the 

 straw or yellowish-green colour of the bracts of the in- 

 volucre, of which the tips are rarely darker. The outer- 

 most bracts, moreover, are ovate or oblong. 



Both Goldenrods have numerous leaves, light green and 

 narrow. The tiny flower heads are in small, crowded 

 groups in flat-topped clusters and not at all showy in colour. 



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