Canadensis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF)  and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this species. 

	NOT [plants mostly 1-4 dm tall; lower stem-leaves well developed, oblanceolate, a basal rosette often also present; stem-leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, sparse, often distant, reduced upwards]
	plants usually 4-12 dm tall; NOT [plants 0.5-4 dm tall]
	stem below the inflorescence densely pubescent; NOT [stem below the inflorescence glabrous or very sparsely pubescent]
	basal leaves seldom forming a rosette; NOT [basal leaves often forming a rosette]
	petiole of the basal leaves NOT conspicuously ciliate
	basal leaves not much longer than stem leaves; NOT [basal leaves much longer than stem leaves]
	leaves lanceolate; NOT [leaves elliptic to obovate]
	middle stem-leaves mostly more than 4 times longer than wide; NOT [middle stem-leaves mostly 2-3 times longer than wide]
	leaves green; NOT [leaves grayish green]
	leaves pubescent or puberulent; NOT [leaves glabrous] (FOA)
	leaves sometimes glabrous above; NOT [leaves densely hirsute above and below] (FOA)
	heads NOT corymbose, usually racemose, the inflorescence cylindrical to narrowly oval, or paniculate, with spreading or arching branches; NOT [heads corymbose, the inflorescence rounded or flat-topped] (FOA)
	inflorescence a panicle or spike; NOT [inflorescence corymbose, with the branches slanting upward, forming a rounded or flat-topped inflorescence] (BF)
	inflorescence a panicle with more or less spreading or arching branches; NOT [inflorescence racemose, with branches ascending along the stem] (BF)
	heads often secund on the branches

Solidago: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.

	plants with fibrous roots; NOT [plants with a taproot]
	juice watery; NOT [plants with a milky or sticky sap]
	leaves alternate or basal; NOT [leaves opposite]
	leaves simple, NOT pinnatifid or divided
	leaves NEVER spinescent
	heads small and numerous, in terminal or axillary clusters; NOT [heads usually solitary at ends of branches]
	involucral bracts in 2 or more series; NOT [involucral bracts usually one series]
	involucral bracts well-imbricated; NOT [involucral bracts not or scarcely imbricated]
	receptacle naked
	flower heads with florets both tubular and ray; NOT [flower heads with all florets tubular]
	ray florets pistillate or neuter; NOT [ray florets perfect]
	ray florets yellow; NOT [ray florets usually pink, purple, blue, or white]
	stamens united to form a tube around the pistil
	pappus wholly or partly of capillary bristles, sometimes plumose; NOT [pappus chaffy, or of scales, or of firm awns, or a crown, or none]
	pappus single, bristles sometimes unequal but not distinctly divided into an inner and outer series of two lengths; NOT [pappus double, bristles of the outer series inconspicuous, distinctly shorter than the inner]