Solidago canadensis
           
Canada Goldenrod

Mature Flower Head Top

North of Rocanville
23-August-2008

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Canadensis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF)  and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this species. 
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NOT [plants mostly 1-4 dm tall; lower stem-leaves well developed, oblanceolate, a basal rosette often also present; stem-leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, sparse, often distant, reduced upwards]

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plants usually 4-12 dm tall; NOT [plants 0.5-4 dm tall]

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stem below the inflorescence densely pubescent; NOT [stem below the inflorescence glabrous or very sparsely pubescent]

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basal leaves seldom forming a rosette; NOT [basal leaves often forming a rosette]

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petiole of the basal leaves NOT conspicuously ciliate

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basal leaves not much longer than stem leaves; NOT [basal leaves much longer than stem leaves]

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leaves lanceolate; NOT [leaves elliptic to obovate]

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middle stem-leaves mostly more than 4 times longer than wide; NOT [middle stem-leaves mostly 2-3 times longer than wide]

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leaves green; NOT [leaves grayish green]

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leaves pubescent or puberulent; NOT [leaves glabrous] (FOA)

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leaves sometimes glabrous above; NOT [leaves densely hirsute above and below] (FOA)

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heads NOT corymbose, usually racemose, the inflorescence cylindrical to narrowly oval, or paniculate, with spreading or arching branches; NOT [heads corymbose, the inflorescence rounded or flat-topped] (FOA)

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inflorescence a panicle or spike; NOT [inflorescence corymbose, with the branches slanting upward, forming a rounded or flat-topped inflorescence] (BF)

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inflorescence a panicle with more or less spreading or arching branches; NOT [inflorescence racemose, with branches ascending along the stem] (BF)

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heads often secund on the branches

 

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Solidago: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.
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plants with fibrous roots; NOT [plants with a taproot]

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juice watery; NOT [plants with a milky or sticky sap]

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leaves alternate or basal; NOT [leaves opposite]

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leaves simple, NOT pinnatifid or divided

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leaves NEVER spinescent

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heads small and numerous, in terminal or axillary clusters; NOT [heads usually solitary at ends of branches]

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involucral bracts in 2 or more series; NOT [involucral bracts usually one series]

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involucral bracts well-imbricated; NOT [involucral bracts not or scarcely imbricated]

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receptacle naked

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flower heads with florets both tubular and ray; NOT [flower heads with all florets tubular]

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ray florets pistillate or neuter; NOT [ray florets perfect]

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ray florets yellow; NOT [ray florets usually pink, purple, blue, or white]

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stamens united to form a tube around the pistil

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pappus wholly or partly of capillary bristles, sometimes plumose; NOT [pappus chaffy, or of scales, or of firm awns, or a crown, or none]

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pappus single, bristles sometimes unequal but not distinctly divided into an inner and outer series of two lengths; NOT [pappus double, bristles of the outer series inconspicuous, distinctly shorter than the inner]