Date: August 14, 2012. Location: Kent Park(map)
| Classification Hierarchy | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Subkingdom | Tracheophyta |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass | Asteridae |
| Order | Asterales |
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Genus | Solidago |
| Species | Solidago rigida |
Date: August 14, 2012. Location: Kent Park(map)
USDA Plant Profile Flora of N. America Eilers and Roosa Iowa Prairie Plants
Scientific Name: Solidago rigida
Common Name: Stiff-leaved goldenrod, Stiff Goldenrod
Origin: Native
Notes: Solidago rigida is one of seven species of goldenrod reported in Johnson county, Iowa. It consists of three subspecies (subsp. glabrata, subsp. rigida, and subsp. humilis). Only the last two have been reported in Iowa. They differ by the density of leaf and stem hair (rigida with fewer than 50 hairs/mm2and humilus with more than 50 hairs/mm2). To identify S. rigida, the leaves are the salient feature. There are large basal leaves that appear the first year and stiff cauline leaves on the floral stalks that appear thereafter (see ref.#15 below).
Additional references: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
Flowers: yellow; involucres bell-shaped; phyllaries 3 or 4 ranked; ray florets 6-13 per head, disc florets 14-35 per head; Fruit cypselae (achenes) glabrous, length 0.8-2 mm, ribbed; pappi 3-4 mm.
Leaves: basal leaves petioled, blades ovate-rhombic, cauline leaves alternate and numerous often directed upward at an acute angle to the axis of the stem, leaf attachment is sessile or clasping, blades ovate and hairy.
Insects: Goldenrod plants attract many species of insects—two are shown below. The bee is the American Bumblebee Bombus pensylvanicus see (1, 2). The butterfly is the common Buckeye Junonia coenia (1) The seed heads support developing insects such as the case moth species (Coleophora) in the last pictures.
Glossaries of botanical terms: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
