Solidago rugosa Mill. var. rugosa

Wrinkle Leaf Goldenrod

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Wrinkle Leaf Goldenrod is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It occurs throughout Alabama. Wrinkle Leaf Goldenrod occurs along streams, around lakes and ponds, in seeps, in bogs, and in wet roadside ditches. Plants are perennial with long creeping rhizomes. The stems are 2-4 feet in height and moderately to densely pubescent. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves are absent at flowering. Stem leaves are sessile, elliptic to lanceolate in outline, with sharply serrate margins. Leaves are pubescent, rugose (wrinkled), and have prominent veins but are not three nerved. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in lax, secund panicles. Each head has 4-12 yellow ray flowers and 2-8 yellow disc flowers. The fruit is an achene. Wrinkle Leaf Goldenrod is very variable and varieties can be difficult to distinguish. Three varieties have been reported from Alabama: Solidago rugosa var. rugosa, S. rugosa var. aspera (Aiton) Fernald, and S. rugosa var. celtidifolia (Small) Fernald. Solidago rugosa var. rugosa has thin leaves that are not very wrinkled, and are glabrous or soft hairy. The other two varieties have thick leaves that are strongly rugose and stiffly hairy. Solidago rugosa var. aspera has lanceolate to elliptic stem leaves that are not much reduced towards the apex of the stem. Solidago rugosa var. celtidifolia has stem leaves greatly reduced towards the apex of the stem and leaves are ovate in outline. Wrinkle Leaf Goldenrod is available from nurseries, including the cultivar “Fireworks”. It prefers a wet to moist soil in full or partial sun.--A. Diamond

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Native

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