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1 Basal and lower stem leaves with blades truncate to cordate to a winged petiole; heads discoid (lacking ray flowers); [GA and FL Panhandle west through AL and MS to w. LA]; [subgenus Solidago, section Brintonia] |
1 Basal and lower stem leaves sessile, or with blades cuneate to the petiole; heads radiate (with 1-16 disc flowers); [collectively widespread]. |
..2 Heads very large, involucre 8-13 mm high; fresh leaves noticeably thick and rubbery in texture; [subgenus Pleiactila, subsection Glomeruliflorae]; [high elevations of NC and TN] |
..2 Heads smaller, involucre < 8 mm high (or 6-12 mm high in Solidago arenicola); fresh leaves not thick or rubbery in texture; [collectively widespread]. |
....3 Phyllaries and often also vegetative parts with minute sticky glands (use at least 10× magnification); stem leaves petiolate; [subsection Humiles]. |
......4 Leaves, peduncles, and phyllaries copiously glandular; [Coastal Plain sandhills] |
......4 Leaves, peduncles, and phyllaries slightly glandular; [rocky glades, cliffs, barrens, and river-scoured outcrops, primarily on mafic or calcareous rocks]. |
........5 Cypselas pubescent (even when mature) [e. TN and w. VA northward] |
..........6 Lower stem leaves 7-15× as long as wide, (2.5-) 4.6-9.4 (-11.2) cm long, (2-) 3-9 (-17) mm wide, generally obscurely toothed; [rocky, flood-scoured riversides, from e. KY, e. TN, and n. VA northward] |
..........6 Lower stem leaves 3-8× as long as wide, (4.2-) 6.2-11.3 (-15.9) cm long, (5-) 10-22 (-31) mm wide, generally sharply toothed; [cliffs and barrens, primarily over mafic rocks, from w. VA northward] |
........5 Cypselas glabrous (even when young); [ either rocky, flood-scoured riversides of n. AL, nw. GA, sc. NC , e. TN, and e. KY, or habitat uncertain, Piedmont of SC]. |
............ 7 Involucres 5-12 mm high; inflorescence with heads more loosely arrayed, with 1-6 heads on a typical 3 cm lateral branch; [n. AL, nw. GA, , e. TN, e. KY, wc. SC] |
............ ..8 Heads 6-12 mm high; flowering Sep-Oct; [river scour habitats, n. AL, nw. GA, , e. TN, and e. KY] |
............ ..8 Heads 5-6 mm high; flowering May-Jun; [habitat uncertain, Piedmont SC] |
............ 7 Involucres 3-5 mm high; inflorescence with heads more tightly congested, with 6-15 heads on a typical 3 cm lateral branch; [river scour habitats, e. TN and cn. NC]. |
............ ....9 Inflorescence axis and branches glabrous; basal leaves linear-lanceolate, up to 22 mm wide [known only from the Yadkin River in sc. NC] |
............ ....9 Inflorescence axis and branches densely pubescent with arching hairs; basal leaves lanceolate to ovate, up to 35 mm wide; [known only from the Hiwassee River in e. TN] |
....3 Phyllaries and vegetative parts lacking minute sticky glands; stem leaves sessile. |
............ ......10 Petioles of lower stem leaves sheathing the stems; [of bog and marsh habitats, growing in soils which are permanently or at least seasonally saturated]; [subsection Maritimae]. |
............ ........11 Basal leaves 0.7-8 cm wide; plants short, 4-10 (-15) dm tall, typically fairly stout; [Mountains and northward]. |
............ ..........12 Ray flowers averaging 3; disc flowers averaging 8; heads 6-7 mm high; [seepage over sloping rock on granitic domes, of sw. NC, nw. SC, and ne. GA] |
............ ..........12 Ray flowers averaging 5; disc flowers averaging 6; heads 4-5 mm high; [peaty bogs and fens, w. NC and e. TN northward]. |
............ ............ 13 Inflorescence branches short, ascending; basal leaves 0.7-2.5 cm wide; [PA and WV northwards] |
............ ............ 13 Inflorescence branches elongate and divergent; basal leaves 3-8 cm wide; [NC and TN northwards] |
............ ........11 Basal leaves 0.2-2.5 (-5) cm wide; plants short to tall, 3-20 dm tall, typically very slender; [Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont and southward]. |
............ ............ ..14 Basal leaves 0.2-0.5 (-0.7) cm wide; [s. peninsular FL] |
............ ............ ..14 Basal leaves 0.7-2.5 (-5) cm wide; [collectively more widespread]. |
............ ............ ....15 Leaf margins smooth, entire; ray flowers 8-13 per head; disk flowers 14-25 per head; pappus (2.5-) 3.0-3.5 mm long; plants to 1 m tall |
............ ............ ....15 Leaf margins (of the basal leaves at least) scabrous-margined and/or serrate; ray flowers 2-7 per head; disk flowers 6-16 per head; pappus 2.2-4.5 (-5.0) mm long; plants to 2 m tall. |
............ ............ ......16 Leaf margins (of the basal leaves at least) serrate and also scabrous. |
............ ............ ........17 Lower branches of inflorescence usually long, spreading, curved |
............ ............ ........17 Lower branches of inflorescence usually long, divergent in larger specimens |
............ ............ ......16 Leaf margins (of the basal leaves at least) merely scabrous or smooth. |
............ ............ ..........18 Leaf margins scabrous (or at least tuberculate) throughout; panicle branches often spreading-erect with recurved-secund tips; pappus 2.2-4.0 mm long |
............ ............ ..........18 Leaf margins tending to become smooth on leaves of the upper stem; panicle branches usually stiffly erect; pappus 4.0-4.5 (-5.0) mm long |
............ ......10 Petioles of lower stem leaves not sheathing the stems; [mesic or drier habitats]; [subsection Squarrosae]. |
............ ............ ............ 19 Phyllaries spreading or with squarrose tips |
............ ............ ............ 19 Phyllaries appressed. |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Phyllaries sparsely to moderately finely stipitate-glandular; [outer Coastal Plain of se. NC] |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Phyllaries and peduncular bracts not glandular; [collectively widespread]. |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Phyllaries linear-lanceolate, attenuate, tapering to a pointed or minutely rounded tip. |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Stems glabrous below and to the mid-stem; rays mostly 6-9; inner phyllaries usually striate with 2 prominent secondary veins |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Ray laminae averaging about 4.1 mm long; [outer Coastal Plain, GA] |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Ray laminae averaging about 1.9 mm long; [Appalachian or adjacent, PA to n. GA] |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Stems finely hairy throughout with minute strigillose hairs; rays mostly 9-16; inner phyllaries not striate. |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Leaves 20-50 (-60) per stem; midstem leaves usually 4-5 cm long; phyllaries attenuate; [Mountains and Piedmont of GA northward, and Coastal Plain from VA northward] |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Leaves (20-) 50-120 per stem; midstem leaves usually 1-4 cm long; phyllaries acute to acuminate; [Coastal Plain from DE southward] |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, acute to obtuse or rounded. |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Rays white |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Rays yellow (may turn pale yellow with age). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Involucres (6-) avg. 7.2 (-9.5) mm high |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Involucres 3.5-6.5 mm high. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Leaves and stems sparsely to densely hairy with spreading to appressed hairs |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Leaves and upper stems glabrous. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Inflorescence thyrsiform, very slender, usually linear in outline but sometimes with a few widely spaced elongate branches; cypsela bodies 2.2-3.0 mm long; ray flowers often pale yellow or appearing faded ; [MA to se. IN, south to GA and MS, mostly avoiding the Coastal Plain southward] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Inflorescence panicle-like, usually with several to many ascending branches and ovoid in outline; cypsela bodies 1.1-2.0 mm long; ray florets golden yellow, not faded in appearance; [MA to GA, west to SD and scattered south in CO to ne. NM]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Mid-stem leaves 0.4-1.5 (-2.0) cm wide; basal leaves 0.8-2.0 cm wide, entire or slightly serrate, present or absent at flowering |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Mid-stem leaves usually > 2 cm wide; basal leaves (2.0-) 3.0-5.5 cm wide, coarsely serrate, present at flowering |