23. Solidago ulmifolia Muhl. ex Willd. (elm-leaved goldenrod)
Pl. 240 c, d;
Map 1012
Plants with the
rootstock short and often branched, not producing rhizomes. Stems solitary or
more commonly few to several, 40–120 cm long, erect to loosely ascending, with
several fine, longitudinal ridges or grooves, glabrous below the inflorescence
or moderately pubescent with mostly spreading hairs 0.5–1.5 mm long, not shiny,
not glaucous. Leaves basally disposed or the largest leaves about 1/3 of the
way up the stem, absent or persistent at flowering (additional rosettes usually
absent). Basal and lowermost stem leaves with the blade 6–12 cm long, 2–5 cm
wide, mostly 2–6 times as long as wide, elliptic to obovate or narrowly
obovate, relatively thin, tapered relatively abruptly to a short to long,
winged petiole at the base, angled or tapered to a sharply pointed tip, the
margins sharply toothed and inconspicuously hairy, the surfaces sparsely to
moderately pubescent with spreading or curved hairs, the upper surface often
somewhat roughened to the touch, the undersurface with 1 main vein, the fine,
pinnate secondary veins usually easily observed (these usually forming an
irregular network). Median and upper stem leaves 1–6 cm long, elliptic to
narrowly lanceolate, the margins toothed or those of the uppermost leaves
entire, otherwise similar to the lower stem leaves. Inflorescences open, more
or less pyramidal panicles, the branches usually arched or nodding, the
lowermost branches often relatively long, the heads oriented upward along the
branches. Involucre 2.5–4.0 mm long, the bracts in 3 or 4 unequal series.
Involucral bracts oblong-ovate to narrowly oblong-lanceolate and bluntly to sharply
pointed at the appressed-ascending tip, the thin, white to yellowish white
margins hairy (at least toward the tip), the outer surface glabrous, with an
elliptic or narrowly diamond-shaped, green to light green central region above
the midpoint, this tapered gradually to the midvein, the midvein often slightly
thickened and no additional veins present. Receptacle naked. Ray florets 3–5,
the corollas 1.5–2.0 mm long, yellow. Disc florets 4–7, the corollas 2.5–3.0 mm
long, the lobes 0.5–0.9 mm long, yellow. Pappus 2.0–2.5 mm long, a few of the
bristles often slightly thickened toward the tip. Fruits 1.0–1.6 mm long,
narrowly obovoid, finely hairy. 2n=18. August–November.
Scattered nearly
throughout the state (eastern U.S.
west to Wisconsin and Texas;
Canada).
Mesic to dry upland forests, ledges and tops of bluffs, glades, savannas,
margins of ponds and sinkhole ponds, acid seeps, and banks of streams and
rivers; also pastures, old fields, dry ditches, and roadsides.
This species
usually produces relatively open inflorescences with the lower branches
relatively widely spaced, long, and noticeably arching. Although present in a
number of habitats, it is a characteristic species of dry bluffs. Most
botanists have accepted two varieties, differing in pubescence pattern.