seaside goldenrod (Plants of Jamaica Bay Marsh)

seaside goldenrod

Solidago sempervirens

Description ³

Plants 40–200 cm; caudices short, stout. Stems 1–10(–20+), erect or ascending, glabrous throughout or hairy in arrays. Leaves: rosettes present at flowering; basal and proximal cauline tapering to long, winged petioles sheathing stems or nearly so, blades narrowly ovate to oblanceolate, 100–400 × 10–60 mm, thick or fleshy, entire, acute, glabrous; mid to distal cauline usually numerous, sessile, blades lanceolate, 40–60 × 5–10 mm, reduced distally, thick or fleshy, bases sometimes subclasping, margins entire. Heads 20–500 , secund, in paniculiform arrays, secund-pyramidal to broadly club-shaped, sometimes leafy proximally, at least proximal branches spreading-recurved, branches and peduncles bracteolate, bracteoles reduced distally. Peduncles 2–3 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Involucres 3–7 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, unequal, lanceolate, margins ciliate, apices acute. Ray florets 8–17; laminae 5–6.2 × 0.4–0.6 mm. Disc florets 10–22; corollas 3–3.2 mm, lobes 0.5–1.2 mm. Cypselae (obconic) 1.1–1.5 mm, moderately strigose; pappi 3.8–4 mm (slightly clavate).

Distribution and habitat ⁴

In nature, S. sempervirens is primarily a plant of the seashore, and is accordingly found along the ocean from Mexico north to Newfoundland. It is naturally found inland along the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes, and has expanded its range further inland along roadsides over the past 30 years. It is highly tolerant of both saline soils and salt spray, and is usually found growing on coastal dunes and in salt marshes.