Solidago aestivalis E. P. Bicknell, syn of var. sphagnophila
Solidago aspera Aiton, syn of var. aspera
Solidago celtidifolia Small, syn of var. celtidifolia
Solidago rugosa, commonly called the wrinkleleaf goldenrod[2] or rough-stemmed goldenrod,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread across eastern and central Canada (from Newfoundland to Ontario) and the eastern and central United States (Maine west as far as Wisconsin and Iowa, south to Florida and Texas).[4] It is usually found in wet to mesic habitats.[5]
Description
Solidago rugosa is a rough-leaved herbaceousperennial up to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall. Its leaves are primarily cauline. One plant can produce as many as 50 stems, each with 50–1500 yellow flower heads.[5] It flowers in late summer through fall.[6] It can be distinguished from the similar-looking Solidago ulmifolia by the presence of creeping rhizomes, and by its more abrupt leaf bases.[7]
Solidago rugosa is a variable plant throughout its range. Five varieties are currently recognized, although their relationships are complex and poorly understood.[7] The varieties are:[5][6]
Solidago rugosa var. aspera (Aiton) Fernald - common throughout the east
Solidago rugosa var. celtidifolia (Small) Fernald - coastal plain from Texas to Virginia
Solidago rugosa var. cronquistiana Semple - high elevations in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina
Solidago rugosa var. rugosa - common, generally more northern and Appalachian
Solidago rugosa var. sphagnophila C. Graves - cedar swamps from Nova Scotia to coastal Virginia
Conservation
Solidago rugosa is common throughout most of its range, and is not tracked at the species level in any state or province it is native to.[10] However, in Connecticut the variety sphagnophila is listed as a special concern and believed to be extirpated from the state.[11]
The Iroquois use the whole plant for biliousness and as liver medicine, and take a decoction of flowers and leaves for dizziness, weakness or sunstroke.[13]
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Solidago rugosa". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
^"Solidago rugosa". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
^"Connecticut's Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species 2015". State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Bureau of Natural Resources. Retrieved 31 December 2017.(Note: This list is newer than the one used by plants.usda.gov and is more up-to-date.)