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Introduction
The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia previously recognized Solidago spathulata and its three varieties as present in BC. However, this species has been renamed to Solidago simplex. Two varieties are now recognized in BC: Solidago simplex var. simplex and Solidago simplex var. nana. The latter is the alpine and sub-alpine taxon.
Species Information
General: Perennial herb from a woody stem-base or short, stout rhizome; stems erect, solitary, branched, glabrous or sometimes rough-hairy above, usually sticky above, 5-80 cm tall.
Leaves: Basal leaves oblanceolate to spoon-shaped or rounded, glabrous, toothed, stalked, 1.4-15 cm long including the stalk, 0.2-3 cm wide, mostly persistent; stem leaves similar below, progressively reduced, becoming linear and unstalked upwards.
Flowers: Heads with ray and disk flowers, numerous in a spikelike, elongate inflorescence; involucres 4-6 mm tall; involucral bracts oblanceolate, evidently graduated, commonly blunt, glabrous; ray flowers yellow, 5-10, mostly 8, scarcely exceeding the 10-16 yellow disk flowers.
Fruits: Achenes densely hairy; pappus of numerous white hairlike bristles.
Notes: Three often difficult to separate varieties occur in BC.
1. Plants 10-60 cm tall, very strongly resinous and aromatic, with a spikelike, usually elongate inflorescence, and mostly spoon-shaped or egg-shaped basal leaves........................ var. spathulata
1. Plants 5-80 cm tall, less strongly resinous and aromatic; leaves and inflorescence various.
2. Plants of the subalpine and alpine zones, 5-15 cm tall, with a short, compact inflorescence; basal leaves spoon-shaped or egg-shaped........................ var. nana (A. Gray) Cronq.
2. Plants of the lowland and montane zones, 15-80 cm tall, with a more spikelike, elongate inflorescence; basal leaves mostly oblanceolate........................ var. neomexicana (A. Gray) Cronq.
Mesic to dry meadows, rocky slopes and forests in all vegetation zones except the alpine zone; common throughout BC except the NW coast and Queen Charlotte Islands; N to AK, YT, and NT, E to PQ and NS, and S to VA, NM, AZ, and CA.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
