Solidago rigida L. var. rigida

Locations ofSolidago rigida L. var. rigida in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Asteraceae
Botanical Name
Solidago rigida L. var. rigida
Common Name
Stiff Goldenrod
Synonym(s)
Solidago rigida L. (sensu lato); Solidago rigida L. ssp. rigida; Oligoneuron rigidum (L.) Small var. rigidum
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Solidago rigidaL. var. rigida
Comments
Sometimes treated as Oligoneuron rigidum (L.) Small var. rigidum. The primary range of this taxon is Midwestern, with scattered disjunctions throughout much of the Appalachians and Atlantic Piedmont regions.

The generic placement of this species and its vars. seems to be quite unresolved, recently moving between Solidago and the sister genus Oligoneuron and back twice. Beyond that, the treatment of the two vars. as separate species by Flora of the Southeastern U.S. (Weakley et al. 2023) seems somewhat controversial. Morphologically, the main (only?) difference is in degree of pubescence, but var. glabrata (S. jacksonii) is diploid while var. rigida is mostly tetraploid. The Vascular Plants of North Carolina website (LeGrand and Sorrie) also regards the elevation of the varieties to be premature and wants to see additional published research. The issue is complicated, and we have opted to retain the traditional varietal approach while awaiting phylogenetic studies that could definitely resolve the issue.
Habitat
Dry, rocky woodlands, barrens, and outcrops; also in clearings and old fields in areas that once supported vegetation with prairie affinities; strictly on calcareous or mafic substrates, including limestone, dolostone, metabasalt, amphibolite, diabase, and calcareous shales. Rare in the mountains and Piedmont.
Native Status
Native

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