高大一枝黄花 gao da yi zhi huang hua

Herbs, perennial; rhizomes creeping, branched. Stems erect, to 250 cm tall, simple, shortly and softly aqua-rose downy. Leaves numerous, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 5-12 cm, tapering at both ends, apex acuminate, margin of lower leaves sharply serrate, of basal leaves sometimes entire, of upper leaves entire, with 3 longitudinal veins, of which 2 lateral veins protrude weakly, glabrous or downy abaxially, shortly pilose adaxially. Capitula in paniculiform synflorescences, capitula attached on one side, branches curved downward. Involucre 3-4 mm; phyllaries linear-lanceolate, slightly obtuse. Florets golden yellow; ray florets hardly longer than involucre. Pappus inner (longest) bristles not obviously clavate. Fl. Aug-Sep.

Cultivated in China; now widely naturalized as an often abundant weed in disturbed areas. Anhui, Fujian, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shandong, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [native to North America; widely introduced elsewhere].

The Chinese plants belong to Solidago altissima var. altissima. Material from China has often been misidentified as S. canadensis.