Coast goldenrod

Aster candollei Kuntze; Solidago simplex Kunth var. spathulata (de Candolle) Cronquist; S. spiciformis Torrey & A. Gray

Plants (10–)20–40(–50) cm; caudices short-branched, thickened, woody. Stems 1–15+ , decumbent to erect, proximally glabrous, sparsely strigose in array. Leaves: basal petiolate to sessile; blades spatulate, 40–120 × 10–30 mm, subcoriaceous, margins crenate, apices acute to obtuse, glabrous; many-leaved rosettes present at flowering; cauline 9–19, sessile; blades similar to basal proximally, becoming oblanceolate distally, reduced to 10 mm, margins entire, apices acute, often heavily resinous. Heads 5–100+, not secund, in paniculiform arrays, or virgate to thyrsiform in robust plants, consisting of axillary and terminal racemiform clusters. Peduncles 3–10 mm (longest), sparsely strigose; bracts clustered near base of heads. Involucres campanulate, 4–7 mm. Phyllaries (15–24 in 3–4 series) unequal, very resinous; outer ovate, obtuse, inner linear-lanceolate, obtuse or acute. Ray florets 4–10; laminae 2–4 × 1–2 mm. Disc florets 10–18; corollas 4.3–6 mm, lobes 0.7–1.5 mm. Cypselae appressed-strigose; pappi 3.5–5.5 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering Jul–Sep. Dunes and headlands; 0–100 m; Calif., Oreg.

Solidago spathulata is scattered along the coast in isolated populations. A narrow interpretation of the species is accepted here following G. S. Ringius (1985).