24. NATURE'S REALM. 
dago ; it says that golden rod is aromatic, 
moderately stimulant, and diaphoretic when 

THE GoLpen Rop. 
given in warm infusions. The dried flowers 
and leaves are used as a pleasant and whole- 
some substitute for common tea. 
In Michigan there are to be found twenty- 
four distinct species of golden rod, of which 
canadensis is the most abundant; after which 
come Solidago serotina, S. rugosa and S. ne- 
moralis. These species, like the others, have 
no distinctive common names, but are all 
called simply golden rod and must be distin- 
guished by the scientific names. To the large 
majority of ramblers and those who gather 
these flowers there are no points of difference 
in the various golden rods, all being simply 
hanasome branches of yellow or golden blos- 
soms. It will be seen on even a most casual 
examination that there is a vast difference in 
the various golden rods, both as to formation 
of clusters of flowers, size and height of plants 
and actual coloration, while a vast difference 
will be discovered by the amateur botanist in 
the appointments of the single flowers, as well 
as in selection of quarters by the different 
kinds. One class of golden rods may be found 
growing in sandy soil, while another only 
grows around low mucky ground, and some 
species prefer very moist regions. 
It will be an advantage to my readers to 
here classify the various species, but for the 
benefit of amateurs it may be well to say that 
the blossom clusters are divided as follows: 
First, those having the heads clustered in the 
axils of the feather-veined leaves; secondly, 
heads in racemes forming a terminal panicle, 
and third, heads much crowded in a terminal 
compound corymo. Most of our species I 
judge are embraced in the second division, in 
which occurs the canadensis, which has a 
rough, hairy stem, lanceolate and usually ser- 
rate pointed leaves rather downy beneath but 
rough above, and small heads with short rays. 
It is not so attractive or showy as many others. 
Nemoralis, another well-known species, is one 
of our smallest golden. rods, growing to a 
height of one or two feet only. Found in dry, 
open ground, flowering soon after midsummer. 
The leaves spatulate-oblong or oblanceolate, 
One-sided dense racemes, numerous and at 
length recurving, and flowers bright golden 
yellow. Many species of golden rod are three 
to five feet high, and I have seen specimens 
