Solidago altissima L.

Late goldenrod (en), Solidage du Canada (fr), Gerbe-d'or (fr), Verge-d'or du Canada (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Asterales > Asteraceae > Solidago

Characteristics

Plants 50–200 cm; rhizomes short-to long-creeping. Stems 1–40+, usually short-hairy throughout, sometimes proximally glabrescent. Leaves: basal 0; proximal cauline usually withering by flowering; sessile or subpetiolate, tapering to bases; blades oblanceolate, 95–150 × 16–20 mm, relatively thick and firm, entire to serrate along distal 1 / 2 , strongly 3-nerved, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces finely strigose, more so along nerves, adaxial ± scabrous; mid to distal cauline blades oblanceolate (proximally) to lance-olate (distally), mid (30–)45–100(–170) × (5–)7–16(–25) mm, much reduced distally [(15–)25–55 × (3–)4.5–10(–17) mm], margins finely serrate (teeth 0–6(–14) per side on mid), distally usually becoming entire or remotely serrulate, adaxial faces ± scabrous, abaxial moderately strigillose, densely villoso-strigillose along nerves, distal sometimes minutely stipitate-glandular. Heads (15–)100–1200+, secund, in secund, pyramidal, paniculiform arrays, branches divergent and recurved, sometimes ascending-divergent, sometimes merely club-shaped thyrsiform in small plants, 5–30 × 2–25 cm (often 1.5–2 times as long as wide in southern plants). Peduncles 1–3.5 mm, moderately densely short hispiduloso-strigillose, sometimes minutely stipitate-glandular; bracteoles linear, sometimes minutely stipitate-glandular. Involucres narrowly campanulate, 2.5–4.5 mm. Phyllaries in ca. 3 series, strongly unequal; outer lanceolate, acute, inner linear-lanceolate, margins rarely minutely stipitate-glandular, apices acute to obtuse. Ray florets (5–)8–13(–17); laminae 0.7–1.5(–2) × 0.1–0.4(–0.5) mm. Disc florets (2–)3–6(–9); corollas usually 2.3–3.6 mm, lobes 0.5–0.9(–1.2) mm. Cypselae (narrowly obconic) 0.5–1.5 mm, sparsely to moderately strigillose; pappi 2.5–3.5 mm.
More
Herbs, perennial; rhizomes creeping, branched. Stems erect, to 250 cm tall, simple, shortly and softly aqua-rose downy. Leaves numerous, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 5-12 cm, tapering at both ends, apex acuminate, margin of lower leaves sharply serrate, of basal leaves sometimes entire, of upper leaves entire, with 3 longitudinal veins, of which 2 lateral veins protrude weakly, glabrous or downy abaxially, shortly pilose adaxially. Capitula in paniculiform synflorescences, capitula attached on one side, branches curved downward. Involucre 3-4 mm; phyllaries linear-lanceolate, slightly obtuse. Florets golden yellow; ray florets hardly longer than involucre. Pappus inner (longest) bristles not obviously clavate. Fl. Aug-Sep.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 2.0
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Dry to damp thickets, roadsides and clearings. Dry to moist soils, fields, roadsides, disturbed areas from sea level to 1000 metres.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 3-5
Soil texture 3-4
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-10

Usage

Uses dye environmental use medicinal
Edible flowers leaves seeds stems
Therapeutic use Burn Dressing (flower), Dermatological Aid (flower), Fever (flower), Snake bites (flower), Dermatological Aid (root), Burns (root), Analgesics (unspecified), Antipyretics (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Emetics (unspecified), Hypnotics and sedatives (unspecified), Influenza, human (unspecified), Toothache (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 14 - 42
Germination temperacture (C°) 10
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Solidago altissima habit picture by Eli Small (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Solidago altissima leaf picture by Janice Arthurson (cc-by-sa)
Solidago altissima leaf picture by Hong Wang (cc-by-sa)
Solidago altissima leaf picture by Lab Grrl (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Solidago altissima flower picture by Janice Arthurson (cc-by-sa)
Solidago altissima flower picture by Janice Arthurson (cc-by-sa)
Solidago altissima flower picture by guinnevere lowe (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Solidago altissima world distribution map, present in Australia, Canada, China, Georgia, Mexico, New Zealand, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Taiwan, Province of China, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:285347-2
WFO ID wfo-0000082215
COL ID 4Y752
BDTFX ID 65054
INPN ID 124160
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Solidago scabra Solidago altissima var. pluricephala Solidago altissima var. altissima Solidago altissima

Lower taxons

Solidago altissima subsp. gilvocanescens