418 
GOLDENROD 
Polarization: 
Direct at 20° +161.6 +181.2 +149.6 
Invert at 20° +154.7 +161.2 +138.4 
Starch sugars show the following compo¬ 
sition according to Bryan (also given in 
same paper). 
Crystalline sugars (often referred to as 
Anhydrous Sugar) : 
Average Maximum Minimum 
Water 
7.42% 
9.94% 
5.04% 
Dextrose 
86.33 
90.70 
81.52 
Dextrin 
.39 
.54 
.16 
Mineral Matter 
.73 
1.06 
.48 
Undetermined 
Polarization: 
5.13 
7.53 
2.77 
100 grams to 
lOOcc— 
+ 27.89 
+ 28.65 
+27.50 
Dextrose calculated from polarization—- 
91.59% 
94.08% 
90.31% 
“Climax sugar” or 80 sugar: 
Average Maximum Minimum 
Water 
9.84% 
10.61% 
9.06% 
Dextrose 
77.54 
77.84 
77.24 
Dextrin 
1.04 
1.15 
.96 
Mineral Matter 
1.18 
1.18 
1.17 
Undetermined 
Polarization: 
10.40 
10.96 
9.83 
10 grams to 
lOOcc— 
+27.45 
+28.40 
+ 26.50 
Dextrose calculated from polarization— 
90.12% 
93.20% 
87.03% 
“Nabob sugar” or 70 sugar: 
Average Maximum Minimum 
Water 
16.43% 
18.03% 
13.77% 
Dextrose 
69.81 
73.16 
66.60 
Dextrin 
1.17 
2.42 
.57 
Mineral Matter 
.80 
1.12 
.45 
Undetermined 
11.79 
14.35 
9.30 
Polarization: 
10 grams to lOOcc— 
+28.94 +33.45 +24.90 
% dextrose calculated 
from the polarization 
• 95.05 109.85 81.77 
In these tables it is noted that the two 
percentages of dextrose given do not agree. 
That one calculated from the polarization is 
always high on account of the influence of 
the amount of dextrin (this having a larger 
polarization influence than dextrose). 
GOLDENROD ( Solidago .)—The golden- 
rods and asters are the most common and 
conspicuous of autumnal flowers in eastern 
North America. Both genera belong to the 
Compositae, the great family which stands 
at the head of the plant kingdom. The in¬ 
florescence of the Compositae represents 
Nature’s greatest triumph in flower-build¬ 
ing. Intercrossing by insects, economy of 
time and material, a large number of seeds 
well adapted to germinate, and their wide 
distribution have all been very perfectly 
secured. The individual flower is small and 
of little significance as compared with the 
community. Conspicuousness is gained by 
massing a large number of flowers in a head 
or capitulum, an arrangement which per¬ 
mits insects to visit them very rapidly. 
While in the common whiteweed, or daisy, 
the number of florets may exceed 500, in 
the head of the goldenrod there are only 
from 16 to 30, according to the species; 
e. g., in the cream-colored goldenrod ( S. 
bicolor ) there are about 16 ray and 14 disc 
florets, and in the tall hairy goldenrod 
( S. rugosa ) about 8 ray and 6 disc florets. 
The stately and beautiful genus of gold- 
enrods begins to bloom at midsummer, or 
earlier in the case of the early goldenrod, 
and in November there are still visible the 
flower clusters of the Canada goldenrod 
and the tall hairy goldenrod, while the salt 
marsh goldenrod may prolong the season 
until December. There are about 85 de¬ 
scribed species, confined chiefly to North 
America, with a few in South America and 
Europe. Fifty'species occur north of Ten¬ 
nessee and east of the Rocky Mountains. 
They are closely allied, often hybridize, and 
are difficult to distinguish. There is a form 
adapted to almost every kind of location. 
The woodland goldenrod (S. caesia ) is 
found in open woodlands, the field golden¬ 
rod ( S. nemoralis) is very common in dry 
fields, the rock goldenrod ( S. rupestris) 
prefers rocky situations, the swamp gold-’ 
enrod ( S. neglecta ) lives in swamps, while 
the seaside goldenrod ( S. sempervirens ) 
thrives in salt marshes. 
Altho the individual heads are so small 
conspicuousness is gained by massing them 
in great plume-like clusters or panicles. 
Their bright yellow color renders them vis¬ 
ible both by day and evening; and as the 
temperature at night is several degrees 
above the surrounding air they sometimes 
serve as a temporary refuge for insects. 
The floral tube is very short, seldom over 
one millimeter in length, so that there are 
few insects which are unable to gather the 
nectar. In Wisconsin Graenicher has taken 
on the early goldenrod (S. juncea) 182 dif¬ 
ferent species of bees, wasps, flies, butter¬ 
flies, and beetles either sucking or collect- 
