Key to Solidago

View taxon page for Solidago

(For a list of species in Solidago, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Mid-cauline leaves largest

2. Peduncle bracts, and/or phyllaries sparsely to moderately minutely stalked-glandular; stem generally glabrous proximally; inflorescence pyramid-shaped, proximal branches not crowded; n SNH, MP ..... S. lepida var. salebrosa

2' Inflorescence not glandular; stem ± hairy to base, not waxy distally; inflorescence pyramid- or club-shaped; widespread

3. Inflorescence ± widely pyramid-shaped; 

involucre 

Group of bracts more or less held together as a unit, subtending a flower, fruit (acorn cup), or inflorescence.

3–5 mm; leaves weakly 

serrate 

Having margins with sharp, fine to coarse teeth generally pointing tipward, not outward; margins with such teeth on such primary teeth are doubly serrate.

; disturbed sites ..... S. altissima subsp. altissima

3' Inflorescence ± club-shaped; involucre 2.5–3.5 mm; leaves generally serrate; ± undisturbed sites ..... S. elongata

1' Proximal cauline or 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

leaves largest

4. Inflorescence generally flat- to round-topped; phyllaries long-acuminate, not strongly graduated; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

generally long-ciliate ..... S. multiradiata

4' Inflorescence generally panicle- or raceme-like, generally ± pyramid- or club-shaped, but not flat- or round-topped; phyllaries 

obtuse 

Having a short-tapered, blunt tip or base, the sides convex or straight and converging at more than a right angle.

, rounded, 

acute 

Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.

or 

acuminate 

Having a long-tapered, sharp tip, the sides concave.

, ± strongly graduated; leaf not long-ciliate

5. Leaves and heads strongly resinous; NCo, NCoRO, NCoRI, CCo, SnFrB ..... S. spathulata

5' Leaves and heads not strongly resinous; widespread

6. Herbage sparsely to densely short-hairy; distal 

nodes 

Position on a stem from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

without 

axillary 

Pertaining to or within an axil, especially a leaf axil.

leaf-clusters ..... S. velutina

7. Herbage ± densely short-hairy; outer phyllaries 

strigose 

With stiff, straight, sharp, appressed hairs.

; disk corolla throat obscure ..... subsp. californica

7' Herbage ± sparsely short-hairy; outer phyllaries ± glabrous; disk corolla throat ± obvious ..... subsp. sparsiflora

6' Herbage ± glabrous; distal nodes often with axillary leaf-clusters

8. Phyllaries 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

to ± 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

, not inrolled, obtuse to acuminate; rays 6–21; KR, CaRH, n SNH (e slope), GB ..... S. spectabilis

8' Phyllaries very narrowly triangular, inrolled near tip, sharply acute; rays 3–13; Teh, CW, SW, W&I, n DMtns

9. Leaves generally < 10 × longer than wide; inflorescence generally club-shaped, panicle-like ..... S. confinis

9' Leaf generally 10+ × longer than wide; inflorescence generally narrow, sometimes spike-like – s SCoRI ..... S. guiradonis

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

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