COMPOSITE. 171 



17. SOLID AGO,' Linn. Golden-rod. 



Lat. solido, to join, or make whole; in allusion to its reputed vulhary properties. 



Heads few, or many-flowered. Rays 1 to 16, pistillate. 

 Receptacle small, alveolate (honey-eomb-like). Scales of 

 the oblong involucre imbricated appressed. Achenta 

 many-ribbed, nearly round. Pappus simple, of equal capil- 

 lary bristles. — Perennial herbs with stems branching near tJce 

 top, icand-like ,• alternate leaves, and small heads of yellow (one spe- 

 cies whitish) flowers expanding in the autumnal months. 



* Stems much branched, corymbose ; leaves all linear, entire, sessile. 



1. S. lanceolata, Ait. Bushy Golden-rod. 



Stem angular, hairy, much branched ; leaves lance-linear, 3 to 5 nerved, rough- 

 margined ; heads obovoid-cylindrical, in dense corymbed clusters ; rays 15 to 20. 



Woods and meadows ; common. Sept. Stem 2 to 4 feet high, terminating in a 

 fiat-topped corymb. Leaves numerous, long and narrow, distinctly 3-veined, acute- 

 ly pointed. Flowers in terminal crowded clusters. Whole plant somewhat frag- 

 rant. 



* * Stem simple, corymbose above ; lower leaves oval or lanceolate, petiolale. 



2. S. rigid A, L. Rigid Golden-rod. 



Rough and somewhat hoary; stem stout, erect, very leafy; lower leaves oval, ere 

 n&te-dentate, rigid ; upper ovate-oblong, sessile, entire, veiny, thick and rigid ; hea 

 about 3 to 4 floweied) large, in compact erect racemes ; rays 7 to 10. 



Dry fields and rocky woods. Aug., Sept. A tall species, 3 to 5 feet high, very 

 pubescent when young. Leaves rigid, the radical ones sometimes near a foot long 

 Heads very large, many-flowered, clustered near the summits of the branches. 

 Hays deep yellow. 



* * * Heads in glomerate axillary clusters. 



3. S. SQUARROSA, Muni. Large spiked Golden-rod. 



Stem stout, simple, densely pubescent above ; leaves smooth, oblong or the lower 

 spatulate-oval, serrate, veiny; scales squarrose with spreading green tips; Iveads 

 many-flowered. 



Rocky wooded hills. Sept. Stem 3 to 5 feet high. Lower leaves large, tapering 

 into a margined petiole. Heads in dense axillary clusters, forming a long leafy 

 compound spike. Bays 10 to 12, elongated, bright yellow. 



4. S. CiESlA, Ait. Blue-stemmed Golden-rod. 



Smooth ; stem terete, erect ; leaves lanceolata or oblong-lanceolate, serrate, pointed, 

 Bossile ; heads in short axillary clustersor racemes ; rays 5 to 1- 



Moist rich woodlands; common. Aag. Stem 2 to 3 feet high, slender, usually 

 dark purple and glaucous, simple or branched. Leaves 2 to 5 inches long, long- 

 pointed, scs i , glaucous beneatb. Heads middle-sized, in numerous axillary ra- 

 cemes. Flowers deep yellow. 



5. S. latlfolia, L; Broad-leaved Golden-rodi 



Nearly smooth; stem angled, mostly flexuous, smooth ; leaves broad, ovate or. oval, 

 long pointed at each end, coarsely dentate-serrate; heads in very short axillary 

 clusters or racemes. 



Moist woods and shaded banks; common. Aug.— Oct. Stem 1 to 3 feet high, 

 ^lender, mostly smooth. Leaves 3 to 5 inches long, 2 to 4 wide, with acute and ofU a, 

 long serratures. Clusters of heads short,"the stem terminating with a long ten 

 ane. Bays 3 to 4. Disk-flowers 6 to 7. 



