Solidago gigantea Aiton. Subgenus: Pleiactila. Section: Unilaterales. Subsection: Serotinae. Smooth Goldenrod. Phen: Aug-Sep (-Oct). Hab: Old fields, roadsides, streamside meadows, bottomlands. Dist: NS west to SK and MT, south to Panhandle FL (Liberty County), TX, and CO.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Three cytotypes are documented and have available names at specific rank -- diploid = Solidago gigantea, tetraploid = Solidago serotinoides, and hexaploid = Solidago shinnersii. Martino, Semple, & Beck (2020) studied these and recommended against giving them taxonomic status, though they do differ in morphology, distribution, nutrient use, and invasiveness.

Synonymy: = Ar, C, Fl7, FNA20, GrPl, GW2, Il, K1, K3, K4, Mi, Mo2, NcTx, NE, NY, RAB, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Martino, Semple, & Beck (2020); = Solidago serotina Aiton – S; > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. gigantea – F, G, Oh3, Pa, SE1, WV, Johnson (1995); > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. leiophylla Fernald – F, Oh3, Tat, WV; > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. serotina (Kuntze) Cronquist – G, Pa, SE1, Johnson (1995); > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. shinnersii Beaudry; > Solidago serotinoides Á.Löve & D.Löve; > Solidago shinnersii (Beaudry) Beaudry

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
• Great Plains: FAC
• Midwest: FACW
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACW

Heliophily: 8