Plants somewhat succulent, 4–20 dm, usually with a very short and compact caudex, essentially glabrous, or scabrous-puberulent in the infl; lvs ± basally disposed, entire, the largest ones oblanceolate, 10–40 × 1–6 cm, the cauline ones generally rather numerous; infl dense, paniculiform, sometimes leafy at base, at least the lower branches ± recurved-secund; invol 3–7 mm, its bracts acute or acuminate; rays 3–5 mm; achenes hairy; 2n=18, 36. Saline places along the coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to trop. Amer., and recently spreading inland locally, especially along highways that are salted in winter, even as far w. as e. Ill. Var. sempervirens, with relatively large heads (invol 4–7 mm, rays 12–17, disk-fls 17–22) is northern, s. to N.J. and locally to Va. Var. mexicana (L.) Fernald, with smaller heads (invol 3–4 mm or seldom 5 mm, rays 7–11, disk-fls 10–16), and commonly also with narrower lvs, is southern, rarely extending as far n. as Mass. Hybridizes with no. 36 as well as with no. 14 [Solidago stricta Aiton].
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