Solidago plumosa

Plumose or Plumed Goldenrod

Solidago plumosa Small is known from one location, a short stretch of the Yadkin River, Stanley Co., North Carolina. It was thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in 1994. See Semple & Cook (2006 FNA) for a detailed description. Solidago plumosa is distinguished by having linear lanceolate middle and upper stem leaves, multiple peduncle bracts, and glabrous cypselae. Solidago plumosa is likely closely related to S. austrocaroliniana, S. kralii, and S. arenicola. All fours species are included in S. subsect. Humiles and are rare to very rare in the southeastern US.

Solidago plumosa range Semple draft

The species is diploid 2n=18 (Peirson et al. 2012). Semple and Cook (2022) published cytogeography maps for S. plumosa and related species.

Semple et al. (2019) presented a multivariate analysis of all 13 species included in S. subsect. Humiles at that time. Solidago plumosa was included in the 12 and 11 species analyses (100 % and 100% correct placment a posteriori) and in the analysis of the 4 species native to the southeastern US (100% correct placment a posteriori). Semple and Beck (2021) placed S. plumosa in S. subsect. Erectae.

Habit (Photograph by Jess Peirson), North Carolina

Solidago plumosa (Photograph by Jess Peirson), North Carolina

Solidago plumosa, Small sn F IT

Solidago plumosa, large shoot, Small s.n. (F), one of multiple isotypes

Solidago plumosa veg Semple 2019 Fig 14

Solidago plumosa, stem and leaves, Semple et al. (2019; Fig 14)

Solidago plumosa floral Semple 2019 Fig 14

Solidago plumosa, heads and cypselae, Semple el al. (2019; Fig 14)

Solidago plumosa range Semple draft

Peirson, J.A., A.A. Reznicek, & J.C. Semple. 2012. Polyploidy, speciation, and infraspecific cytotype variation in goldenrods: the cytogeography of Solidago subsection Humiles (Asteraceae: Astereae) in North America. Taxon: 61: 197-210.

Semple, J.C., K. Kornobis, A. Mazzorato, G.S. Ringius, and J.A. Peirson. 2019. A multivariate morphometric analysis of Solidago subsect. Humiles (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2019-25: 1–61.

Semple, J.C. and J.B. Beck. 2021. A revised infrageneric classification of Solidago (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2021‑10. 1‑6.

Semple, J.C. and R.E. Cook. 2022. The cytogeography of Solidago sect. Erectae, sect. Villosicarpae, sect. Squarrosae, and sect. Brintonia (Asteraceae: Astereae). Taxonomy 2: 261–278.

Last update 4 July 2022 by J.C. Semple