Solidago squarrosa (Stout goldenrod)

Solidago squarrosa Nutt.

Stout goldenrod

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Solidago	From Latin solido, “to make whole or heal,” because it was believed these species had healing properties
Species	squarrosa	“Scaly or rough,” or “with the leaves spreading at right angles”

About plant names...

Stout goldenrods are natives of North America. For a comparison chart of some of the varieties of goldenrods, see Solidago.

Identification: Stems are stiffly erect, 18-60" (45-152 cm) high, often red. Leaves are egg-shaped, and toothed. They usually form a rosette of large leaves at the base. Leaves along the upper stem are small and narrow. Flowers form long clusters at the top of each stem. Individual flowers are closely attached to the stem, with 10-16 rays each. At the base of each flower are green back-curved tiny leaflets (bracts), a key identifying feature.

Edibility: Not edible.

Online References:

Solidago squarrosa on Ontario Wildflowers

Solidago squarrosa at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Solidago squarrosa on CalPhotos

Solidago squarrosa on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

Solidago squarrosa on eFloras

References:

Newcomb, Lawrence, Morrison, Gordon (Illus.), Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Little, Brown and Company, 1977, p. 452

Peterson, Roger Tory, McKenny, Margaret, Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North Central North America, Houghton Mifflin, 1968, p. 198

10/6/2011 · Pack Monadnock, 2200', Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 16 × 24" (41 × 62 cm) ID is uncertain

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 7 × 10" (18 × 24 cm) ID is uncertain

9/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 7" (15 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain

Solidago squarrosa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

10/6/2011 · Pack Monadnock, 2200', Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 12 × 17" (31 × 43 cm) ID is uncertain

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 25 × 20" (63 × 51 cm) ID is uncertain

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 9 × 14" (23 × 35 cm) ID is uncertain

9/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

Range:

About this map...