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

	plants mostly 1-4 dm tall (FOA)
	plants generally TALLER than 0.5-2.0  dm (FOA)
	stems mostly pubescent or puberulent; NOT [stems mostly glabrous below the inflorescence]
	stems minutely gray pubescent
	leaves pubescent or puberulent; NOT [leaves glabrous]
	leaves minutely gray pubescent
	basal leaves often forming a rosette
	basal leaves much longer than stem leaves; NOT [basal leaves not much longer than stem leaves, seldom forming a rosette]
	petiole of the basal leaves (if present) NOT conspicuously ciliate
	lower stem leaves well developed
	lower stem leaves oblanceolate
	stem leaves sparse, often distant, reduced upwards
	stem leaves linear to linear-lanceolate
	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, inflorescence more or less cylindrical or narrowly oval] (BF)
	heads 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)
	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]