2. Euthamia gymnospermoides Greene ex Porter & Britton (viscid bushy goldenrod, Great Plains flat-topped goldenrod)

Solidago gymnospermoides (Greene) Fernald

S. graminifolia var. media (Greene) S.K. Harris

Pl. 234 d–f; Map 980

Stems 30–100 cm long, glabrous (except sometimes a few hairs at the nodes). Leaf blades 1–10 cm long, 1–8 mm wide, relatively thick, the margins slightly to moderately roughened with minute, stout, ascending, stiff hairs, the surfaces glabrous, strongly resinous with dense, conspicuous, impressed or less commonly pustular glandular dots, with 1 midvein or more commonly at least the larger leaves often with 3 main veins, the lateral pair usually finer than the midvein. Involucre 4–6 mm long, relatively resinous, the bracts mostly rounded to bluntly pointed at the tip. Ray florets 7–11(–15), the corollas 2–3 mm long, the short ligule ascending to somewhat spreading. Disc florets 3–5(–9), the corolla 2.5–4.0 mm long, the lobes 0.4–0.9 mm long. 2n=18, 36. August–October.

Scattered nearly throughout the state, but uncommon in the eastern half of the Ozark Division and the Mississippi Lowlands (Ohio to Tennessee west to North Dakota, Colorado, and Texas; Canada). Bottomland and upland prairies, savannas, glades, banks of streams and rivers, and margins of ponds and lakes; also old fields, fallow fields, pastures, ditches, railroads, and roadsides.

As noted above in the treatment of E. graminifolia, recent studies have supported the contention of Croat (1970) and Sieren (1970, 1981) that most of the specimens included by Steyermark (1963) under E. graminifolia are better classified within E. gymnospermoides. Euthamia gymnospermoides is thus by far the most abundant and widespread member of the genus in Missouri. Croat (1970) further advocated making E. gymnospermoides a variety of E. graminifolia, but subsequent authors have not followed that classification (Sieren, 1981; Barkley, 1986; Gleason and Cronquist, 1991).