Roughleaf Goldenrod (Solidago patula)
- Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
- Flowering: August-October.
- Field Marks: Roughleaf goldenrod has smooth stems and the basal leaves are usually present at flowering time. It differs from similar species by having leaves very rough to the touch. The flowers are along one side of the branchlets.
- Habitat: Wet woods, swamps, wet meadows.
- Habit: Perennial herb with short, thick rhizomes.
- Stems: Upright, usually branched, smooth, with prominent ridges, up to 6 feet tall.
- Leaves: Alternate and basal, simple, very rough to the touch, the basal leaves broadly elliptic, pointed at the tip, tapering at the base to a long stalk, toothed, up to 1 foot long, the leaves on the stem progressivley smaller and without a stalk.
- Flowers: Several crowded into a head with many heads usually arranged along one side of the branchlets, each head up to 1/4 inch high, subtended by several green bracts, the outer flowers 5-12, yellow, ray-like, the inner yellow and tubular.
- Sepals: 0.
- Petals: The outer yellow, ray-like, about 1/6 inch long, the inner yellow, tubular, 5-parted.
- Stamens: 5.
- Pistils: Ovary inferior, hairy.
- Fruits: Achenes elongated, hairy, 1/10 inch long, with a tuft of white hairs at the tip.
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