ADDISONIA 21 
(Plate 51) 
SOLIDAGO JUNCEA 
Early Goldenrod 
Native of eastern United States and Canada 
Family CARDUACEAE THISTLE Family 
Solidago juncea Ait. Hort. Kew. 3: 213. 1789. 
A perennial te eighteen inches to five feet high, from creeping 
rootstocks. It is glabrous and smooth or nearly so throughout, 
except for searteved hairs on the branches of the panicle and on the 
leaf-margins. The stem is ridged and bears numerous alternate 
leaves from the base to the panicle. The lower leaves are oval, 
obovate or brvadily: oval-oblanceolate in shape, are serrate or 
serrulate on the margins, and gradually tapes into the petiole 
They are long-petioled and vary from six to twelve inches, or 
even more, in length and from one to two inches in width. Going 
smal oO nd 
triple e-nerved) and vary from rather thin to firm in texture. The 
panicle is four to twelve inches long and when well developed has 
many widely spreading branches. ‘The numerous heads are borne 
on the upper side of the branches, and each head is on a stalk of 
about its own height. The heads are campanulate and about a 
sixth of an inch high; the oblong bracts are rigid, acute or obtuse, 
and greenish yellow in color; each head has a number of flowers, 
d the seven to twelve marginal flowers have short yellow rays; 
the achenes are more or less pubescent 
In the vicinity of New York this earliest of our goldenrods 
commences to flower late in June. It is at its best in July and 
August, and is truly the forerunner of the hosts of goldenrods, 
asters and other composites which in late August and September 
give our meadows, woodlands and swamps such an amazing amount 
and variety of color. Neglected pastures and old abandoned 
fields in the uplands are its favorite places of abode, but it is not 
as critical as some plants are, and is to be found in abundance in 
almost any kind of dry, sunny location. However, it is not properly 
a plant of the coastal plain of New Jersey and is there wanting or 
very local. 
Originally described by the English botanist Aiton from a small 
specimen collected by Solander near Hudson Bay, the range of 
this species is now reported to extend from New Brunswick south 
