SUNFLOWER FAMILY 291 
77. SOLIDAGO* L. Sp. Pl. 878. 1753. 
Perennial herbs with leafy, usually simple stems arising from rhizomes or a ca 
he 
Leaves alternate, entire or toot eads radiate, yellow (in ours), small, campandlat 
to subcylindric, panicled, racem ose, or cymose. Involucre few-seriate, graduate sub- 
equal, the phyllaries usually with obscurely herbaceous tips. Receptacle usually iveclnte, 
ay-florets small, fertile. Disk-florets perfect, fertile, their anthers subentire at base, their 
style-branches with mostly lanceolate appendages. Achenes short, pubescent (in ours), 
usually few-nerved. Pappus setose, nes Rae whitish. [Name Latin, meaning to make 
whole, from its reputed medicinal value. | 
A genus of about 100 species, chiefly Kauees American, a few also in ome America and Eurasia; the genus 
is best Necchog ed in the eastern United States. Type species, Solidago virgaurea L. 
Plants — -~— ny Padi, a rhizomes; stems rather equably leafy, the lowest leaves not 
prominently differ m the r cauline and at length deciduous (except in S. missouriensis). 
‘ase pen, rahe lance- ees Sulleeeedee ample, copiously bracteate, the heads in terminal cymose 
clusters; ray-florets 15-25. 1. S$. occidentalis. 
Leaves ee ee inflorescence more compact, not interrupted, the heads not glomerate in cymes; 
Stems puberulent at least above the middle. 
Leaves densely puberulent on both faces, the middle and upper usually ante, and entire. 
. S. californica. 
Leaves puberulous chiefly on nerves beneath or chiefly glabrous, the middle aa upper lanceolate, 
usually sharply toothed. 
Involucre evidently imbricate; inflorescence a compact thyrse to a broad a ee oem 5- ae: ame long. 
Involucre obscurely imbricate; inflorescence smaller, short and compact; ay” —_ “hen 
Stems seas below the inflorescen a 
Ste Nias ane at nd n ge oe “uniformly leafy throughout, glacuous, 5-20 dm. “et Spa al — lan- 
Stems with vali gt aga etaec. not glaucous, 2-5 dm. high; upper leaves Be linear ve allie, 
ourtensts. 
rhizomes or a branched oust stems with lower and basal Dae poe much 
Plants with — shor Secas 
larger = upper reduced sessile ones; inflorescen tgs ut recurving branches. 
Plants - "i mid- elevations, usually more =— 4 dm. hig 
In = aot “tag nous; involucr: 5-5 mm. oe leaves entire (rarely remotely serrulate in 
ei ti 
Panicle subracemose, few-headed; st 1 Californi 7. S. guiradonis. 
Pinicic usually oblon aind — dense; stems rather mont 
Phyllaries acute or acuminate; rays mostly 8 Californi 8. S. confinis. 
Phyllaries obtusish; coal mostly et Sigs Haske: 9. S. spectabilis. 
Inflorescence glutinous; involucre 5-6 mm te; coastal 
10. S. spathulata. 
Plants of high altitudes, mostly less than 3 dm. high. 
pulttces us; phyllaries obtuse. 
Leav 11. S, decumbens. 
Laci ciliate at least toward petiole; phyllaries acute to acuminate. 12. S. multiradiata, 
* Text tributed by David Daniels Keck. 
