Solidago arguta
Hort. Kew. 3: 213. 1789.
Plants 50–120 cm; caudices branching. Stems 1 usually, erect, round, proximally glabrous, strigose in arrays. Leaves: basal and proximal cauline tapering abruptly to winged, thin petioles, blades broadly ovate, 100–300 × 30–100 mm, margins sharply serrate, apices acute to acuminate, adaxial faces glabrous or slightly scabrous, or sometimes strigose or strigillose; mid to distal cauline sessile, lanceolate, 50–72 × 10–14 mm, reduced distally, becoming entire. Heads 25–250, secund, in open, leafy, paniculiform arrays with recurved branches (sometimes elongate), branches and peduncles hairy. Peduncles 1.5–3 mm, glabrous or moderately short hispido-strigose, bracteoles 1–5, lanceolate-oblong, often grading into phyllaries. Involucres 2.5–4.5(–5) mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, unequal; outer ovate, acute, inner linear-oblong, ciliate, obtuse. Ray florets 2–8; laminae 4–4.5 × 0.4–0.6 mm. Disc florets 8–20; corollas 3.5–4 mm, lobes 0.6–1.5 mm. Cypselae 1.5–2 mm, distinctly ridged, glabrous or strigose distally; pappi 3–3.5 mm.
Distribution
North America.
Discussion
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Solidago arguta is reputedly in Ohio but its presence there is unconfirmed. The species includes a number of regional and ecotypal races investigated by G. H. Morton (1973, 1975). A. Cronquist (1980) is followed here.
Selected References
Key
| 1 | Cypselae glabrous; s Maine to Virginia, w to Kentucky, Tennessee, and s Missouri | 29a.Solidago arguta var. arguta |
| 1 | Cypselae strigillose (at least distally); Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, south | > 2 |
| 2 | Leaves relatively firm, the basal usually proximally ± truncate; (shale barrens) e Kentucky, w Maryland, w Pennsylvnia, w Virginia, e WestVirginia | 29a.Solidago arguta var. harrisii |
| 2 | Leaves less firm, the basal tapering; Virginia to n Florida, w to Kentucky, occasional in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri | > 3 |
| 3 | Leaves glabrous; Virginia to n Florida, w to West Virginia, Kentucky and occasionally to s Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana | 29b.Solidago arguta var. caroliniana |
| 3 | Leaves (especially the proximal) strigose or strigillose; (drier places) Alabama to South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, s Missouri, Tennessee | 29b.Solidago arguta var. boottii |