Solidago mollis

           
Velvety Goldenrod

Flower Head Side

# 627 at Thunder Creek
30-August-2004

The specimens of S. mollis from the Regina and Moose Jaw area which I have observed possess characteristics which in some cases are intermediate between S. mollis and S. canadensis.  I do not know whether these specimens are a pure strain, but they are the most common goldenrod in this area.  I do not believe they can be classified as S. canadensis, and no other Solidago species appears to fit.  They present a variety of leaf shapes, not all of which fulfill the requirements in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta for S. mollis.  The requirements themselves are not always consistent.  For example, one path to the species in Budd's Flora requires:

     leaves obovate, NOT lanceolate to oval

Another path in Budd's Flora simply requires:

     leaves obovate, NOT lanceolate

Budd's Flora also requires:

     leaves 2.5-3 times as long as wide, 
     NOT more than 4 times as long

On the other hand, Flora of Alberta requires:

     cauline leaves usually oval or ovate; 
     NOT usually oblanceolate

I believe Flora of the Great Plains captures the variety of leaf shapes more accurately when it describes the mid-cauline leaves as:

     elliptic to lanceolate and 2.5-5 x longer than wide, 
     irregularly dentate to subentire

The shape of the inflorescence of this species is also variable.  It can vary from pyramidal with spreading recurved branches to cylindrical.

The floras are contradictory regarding the stem pubescence.  One path to the species in Budd's Flora requires:

     leaves and stem NOT densely hairy

while Flora of Alberta requires:

     stems very pubescent, at least above, usually throughout;
     NOT glabrous, 
     NOT very sparingly hairy in or near the inflorescence

The stems are, in fact, pubescent.  The stems of S. canadensis are also pubescent, but the stems of S. gigantea are not.  The leaves of S. mollis are covered with short, fine, velvety hairs which are more easily felt than seen.

Finally, Flora of Alberta requires that:

     heads usually secund, but NOT markedly secund

This may be true, but the distinction is only evident if you are already familiar with the species on both branches of the key (S. mollis and S. lepida).

The rest of the answers to the key questions from the floras are listed below.