''Solidago gigantea'' is a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

n plant species in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

. Its common names include tall goldenrod and giant goldenrod, among others. Goldenrod is the state flower of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and of

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

Description

''Solidago gigantea'' is a perennial herb that reaches heights of up to tall, sometimes spreading by means of underground

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

. It often grows in clumps with no leaves at the base but numerous leaves on the stem. At the top, each stem produces a sizable array of many small

flower heads A pseudanthium (; : pseudanthia) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, composite flowers ...

, sometimes several hundred. Each head is yellow, containing both

disc floret Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

s and

ray florets Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

. File:Solidago gigantea var serotina.jpg, Detail of inflorescence

Habitat

''Solidago gigantea'' is found in a wide variety of natural habitats, although it is restricted to areas with at least seasonally moist soils.

Distribution

It is a widespread species known from most of non-arctic

east of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

. It has been reported from every state and province from

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, and also from the state of

Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...

in northeastern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Environmental impact

''Solidago gigantea'' is highly invasive throughout Europe and Asia. In its non-native range, it exerts a negative impact on native communities by decreasing species richness and diversity, apparently due to its intense competitive effects, rapid growth, or polyploidization. In the non-native European range, several management options are applied, such as periodical flooding, mowing, mulching, grazing, or herbicide to reduce the negative impact of the species on native biodiversity.

Diseases

Parasitized by the Basidiomycete '' Coleosporium asterum''.

Galls

This species is host to the following insect induced galls: * '' Asphondylia rosulata'' Dorchin, 2015 (leaf snap) * '' Asphondylia solidaginis'' Beutenmuller, 1907 (leaf snap) * '' Asteromyia carbonifera'' (Osten Sacken, 1862) * '' Dasineura folliculi'' (Felt, 1908) * '' Epiblema scudderiana'' (Clemens, 1860) * ''

Eurosta solidaginis The goldenrod gall fly (''Eurosta solidaginis''), also known as the goldenrod ball gallmaker, is a species of fly native to North America. The species is best known for the characteristic galls it forms on several species in the '' Solidago'', o ...

'' (Fitch, 1855) * '' Gnorimoschema gallaesolidaginis'' (Fitch, 1855) * '' Gnorimoschema jocelynae'' Miller, 2000 * '' Rhopalomyia capitata'' Felt, 1908 (spring and generations) * '' Rhopalomyia inquisitor'' Felt, 1908 * '' Schizomyia racemicola'' (Osten Sacken, 1862) * '' Tephritis pura'' (Loew, 1873) * '' Calycomyza solidaginis'' Kaltenbach, 1869

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
*
external link to gallformers
{{Taxonbar, from=Q609627 gigantea Symbols of Kentucky Symbols of Nebraska Flora of Northern America Plants described in 1789 Taxa named by William Aiton