Solidago sphacelata

Plants 50–120 cm; rhizomes short, caudexlike or somewhat elongate. Stems usually 1, ascending to erect or arching, densely spreading-puberulent to occasionally subglabrous. Leaves: basal (rosettes) present at flowering, conspicuously petiolate, petioles slightly winged distally, to 100 mm, blades cordate, 40–120 × 40–110 mm, margins coarsely sharp-serrate, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces moderately to densely spreading-puberulent, adaxial sparsely so or glabrate; mid and distal cauline progressively reduced, less petiolate, blades ovate to lanceolate, less cordate distally, 40–60 × 20–30 mm, margins finely serrate. Heads 50–250, densely crowded, often subglomerate, in secund paniculiform arrays, proximal branches few, widely spreading, secund, elongate, distal short, recurved. Peduncles 0–1 mm, sparsely hispido-strigose, bracteoles 1–4, lanceolate-ovate, grading into phyllaries. Involucres narrowly campanulate, 3–4.5 mm. Phyllaries in 2–3 series, ovate, strongly unequal, outer somewhat keeled, firm, margins ciliate. Ray florets 3–6; laminae ca. 1 × 0.5–0.7 mm. Disc florets 3–6; corollas 2–2.5 mm, lobes 0.75–1.2 mm. Cypselae 1–2 mm, sparsely short-strigose; pappi ca. 0.5 mm (forming many-bristled crown on longer cypselae). 2n = 18.

Phenology: Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Sep(–Oct).
Habitat: Open woods and rocky places, especially in calcareous soil, mountains and adjacent eroded plateaus
Elevation: 100–1000+ m

Distribution

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• Legacy Map

Ala., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., Miss., N.C., Ohio, Tenn., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

The vernacular name false goldenrod comes from the erroneous assignment of the species to the genus Brachychaeta rather than to Solidago, where it belongs.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.