Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Northern Roughleaf Goldenrod - Solidago patula   Muhlenberg ex Willdenow
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Section 6 » Order Asterales » Family Asteraceae
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AuthorMuhlenberg ex Willdenow
DistributionMountains only.

NH to southern Ont. and WI, south to northern GA, TN, and MO.
AbundanceUncommon as a whole over the province, but fairly common to locally common within its rather restricted habitats.
HabitatMontane seepage bogs, swamps, wet ground along creeks, seepages over mafic rocks, wet grassy balds. Clearly a wetland species, usually in small or isolated, poorly-drained wet places.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting August - early October.
IdentificationNorthern Roughleaf Goldenrod is robust, 3-5 feet tall, rarely to 6 feet, from a rosette of large basal and lower stem leaves (to 1 foot long and 4 inches wide) that are sharply toothed. Stem leaves gradually become smaller upward. All leaves are roughly textured on the upper surface, like sandpaper. The inflorescence is broad, with lax branches that curve outward. Southern Roughleaf Goldenrod (S. salicina) is similar but its leaves are much narrower and less coarsely toothed. Note also its different range, essentially in the Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont. A tall goldenrod in the mountains with huge basal leaves and growing in wet places is generally this species.
Taxonomic CommentsSome older treatments included Southern Roughleaf Goldenrod as a variety.

Other Common Name(s)Swamp Goldenrod, Roundleaf Goldenrod. Often just called Roughleaf Goldenrod, but this name refers both to the collective S. patula (that includes S. salicina). Northern and Southern are used to differentiate these two sister species.
State RankS3? [S3S4]
Global RankG5
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