Pine-barren goldenrod

Aster fistulosus (Miller) Kuntze; Solidago aspericaulis A. H. Moore

Plants 50–150 cm; rhizomes creeping, elongated, sparsely scaly. Stems 1–20+, erect (stout), conspicuously spreading-hirsute, at least distally. Leaves: basal and proximal cauline usually withering by flowering except on new shoots, tapering to broadly winged petioles, blades oblanceolate, 30–50 × 8–15 mm, rapidly increasing in size distally, margins shallowly serrate, scabroso-strigose, faces often more densely hairy than distal; mid to distal cauline numerous, crowded, sessile, blades lanceolate-ovate to elliptic-oblong, larger ones 35–120 × 8–35 mm, much reduced distally, bases broad and ± clasping, margins obscurely serrulate or entire, faces usually moderately hirsuto-villous on midnerves, often less so abaxially, adaxial sparsely strigose or glabrous. Heads 35–500, in paniculiform arrays, usually dense, branches recurved-secund. Peduncles 2–8 mm, sparsely to moderately strigillose; bracteoles 1–3, linear to linear-lanceolate, tending to group proximal to involucres, sometimes grading into phyllaries. Involucres narrowly campanulate, 3.5–5.5 mm. Phyllaries in 4–5 series, unequal, glabrous; outer narrowly ovate-lanceolate, mid and inner linear-lance-olate. Ray florets (2–)4–10; laminae 1.2–2.5 × 0.2–0.5 mm. Disc florets (2–)4–7; corollas 4–5 mm, lobes 0.5–1 mm. Cypselae (narrowly obconic) 1.5–1.8 mm, sparsely strigillose, sometimes only apically; pappi 3–4 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering Aug–Oct(–Nov; year-round s). Mostly wetter sandy soils, seepage areas, boggy grounds, edges of marshes and thickets, open pine woodlands, roadside ditches; 0–100 m; N.S.; Ala., Del., Fla., Ga., La., Md., Miss., N.J., N.C., Pa., S.C., Va.

Solidago fistulosa grows mainly on the coastal plains. It was introduced at Stone Mountain, Georgia. Solidago pyramidata Pursh may be a synonym of S. fistulosa.