Solidago ptarmicoides

           
Upland White Goldenrod

Flower Head Side

Highway #10 and East Saltcoats Grid
16-July-2006

This species superficially resembles members of the Aster genus rather than appearing as a typical Solidago.  The anomalous features of S. ptarmicoides are not taken into account in the key to the Solidago genus in Budd's Flora.  Thus this key requires:
bullet

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

bullet

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

The above are clearly not true for S. ptarmicoides.  Note that S. ptarmicoides will interbreed with other Solidago species, indicating its membership in that genus.

 
bullet

Ptarmicoides: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this species. 
bullet

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

bullet

ray florets white or pale yellow; NOT [ray florets yellow]

bullet

ray florets large, 5-8 mm long; NOT [ray florets usually less than 5 mm long]

 

bullet

Solidago: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF) and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this genus.  These do not include the two incorrect answers described above.
bullet

plants with fibrous roots; NOT with a taproot

bullet

juice watery; NOT milky

bullet

leaves alternate or basal; NOT opposite

bullet

leaves simple; NOT pinnatifid, NOT divided

bullet

leaves never spinescent

bullet

involucral bracts in 2 or more series; NOT [in one series, sometimes with a few much shorter outer ones at the base]

bullet

involucral bracts well imbricated; NOT scarcely imbricated

bullet

receptacle naked (FOA)

bullet

flower heads with both tubular and ray florets

bullet

ligulate flowers pistillate or neuter; NOT perfect

bullet

stamens united to form a tube around the pistil

bullet

pappus composed of hairs; NOT scales, NOT bristles, NOT firm awns, NOT a crown, NOT absent, pappus NOT chaffy

bullet

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