438 SYNGENESIA— POLYG-SUPERF. Solidago. 



can, differing from Asto- in having a yellow, never blue 

 radius, whitish in S. bicolor. The habit agrees with the 

 upright, panicled, oblong-leaved species of ^5ifer, and the 

 principal generic distinction rests on the calyx-scales being 

 closely imbricated, not spreading. The ligulate^o;e^s of 

 the radius are properly fewer than in Aster, but such a 

 chai'acter must be variable. The receptacle is slightly 

 cellular in our solitary species, but I know not whether 

 that character runs through the whole genus, and accord- 

 ing to Gaertner it exists in some species of Aster. 



1. S. Vh'gaurea. Common Golden-rod. 



Stem slightly zigzag, angular. Clusters downy, panicled, 

 crowded, erect. Leaves paitly serrated. 



S. Virgaurea. Linn. Sp. PL 1 235. fViltcL v. 3. 2065. FL Br. 889. 



Engl. Bot.v.b.t. 301. Hook. Scot. 244. FL Dan. t. 663. 

 S. n. 69. HalLHisLv.]. 29. 

 Virga aurea. Rail Syn. 1 76. Ger. Em. 430. f. Matth. Falgr. v. 2. 



354. /. Camer. Epit. 748, 749. /, /. Dad. Pempt. 142. /,/. 



Dalech. Hist. 1272./,/. Lob. Ic. 298, 299./,/ 

 V. aurea vulgaris latifolia. Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 1062. / 

 Narrow and Common Golden Rod. Petiv. H. Brit. t. 16./ 9, 10. 

 /3. Virga aurea vulgari humilior. Rati Syn. 176. DHL Elth. 414. 

 y. Solidago cambrica. Hucls. 367. Ait. H. Kew. ed. 2.v 5. 70. 



Willd.Sp. PL V. 3.2066. 

 Virga aurea montana, folio angusto subincano, flosculis conglo- 



batis. Raii Syn. 177. 

 V. aurea cambrica, floribns conglobatis. DHL Elih. 4\3. t.306, 



f.393. 

 S. V. aurea montana biuncialis pumila. Pluk. Alniag. 390. Phyt. 



<. 235./ 7, 8. 



In groves, thickets, grassy lanes, as well as on heaths, and moun- 

 tains, at every degree of elevation. 



Perennial. July — September. 



A very variable plant in magnitude, number and size oi Jlowers, 

 and serratures of the leaves; nor do these varieties altogether 

 depend on situation, except that in alpine specimens the JIow- 

 ers are larger and fewer. The root is woody, with long, stout, 

 simple fibres. Stem usually from 1 to 3 feet high, erect, va- 

 riously zigzag, never quite straight, leafy, angular, solid; purple 

 below; most downy in the upper part, where it terminates in a 

 leafy cluster, either simple or compound, of bright yellow^ow- 

 ers. Lower leaves stalked, elliptic-oblong, more or less acute, 

 very rough or harsh at the edges, which are closely serrated, 

 rarely altogether entire ; upper smaller, gradually diminishing 

 to bracteas, which are downy like thQ Jluwer-slalks. Calyx-scales 



