''Solidago rigida'', known by the common names stiff goldenrod and stiff-leaved goldenrod, is a North American 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 ...

. It has a widespread distribution in Canada and the United States, where it is found primarily 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 is typically found in open, dry areas associated with calcareous or sandy soil. Habitats include prairies, savannas, and glades.

Description

''Soliadgo rigida'' is a tall, leafy

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

. Its leathery leaves are large for a goldenrod, reaching wide and long. It produces heads of yellow flowers in the late summer and fall. Its fruit is a wind-dispersed achene.

Galls

This species is host to the following insect induced galls: *'' Asphondylia s-rigida-bud-rosette-gall'' *'' Asteromyia carbonifera'' (Osten Sacken, 1862) *'' Gnorimoschema gibsoniella'' Busck, 1915 *'' Calycomyza solidaginis'' Kaltenbach, 1869
external link to gallformers

Subspecies

;Subspecies *''Solidago rigida'' subsp. ''glabrata'' (E.L.Braun) S.B.Heard & Semple – southeastern + south-central U.S. *''Solidago rigida'' subsp. ''humilis'' (Porter) S.B.Heard & Semple – central + western Canada, central + western United States as far west as the

*''Solidago rigida'' subsp. ''rigida'' –

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, central + eastern U.S. File:Solidago rigida glabrata.jpg, Subspecies ''glabrata'' has hairless outer phyllaries, and a less pubescent stem and leaves

Conservation

This species is considered by NatureServe to be globally "secure" (G5), which is the lowest level of conservation concern assigned. However, it is known to be rare on the local level, due to its declining

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

habitat. It is listed as endangered in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. It is listed as endangered and

extirpated Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions. Local extinctions mark a chan ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, as threatened in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and as historical in

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

Native American ethnobotany

The

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

use a

decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal medicine systems. D ...

of root as an

enema An enema, also known as a clyster, is the rectal administration of a fluid by injection into the Large intestine, lower bowel via the anus.Cullingworth, ''A Manual of Nursing, Medical and Surgical'':155 The word ''enema'' can also refer to the ...

, and take an

infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...

of the root to treat "stoppage of urine". The

Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...

make the flowers into a lotion and use them on bee stings and for swollen faces.Smith, Huron H., 1928, Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:175-326, page 217218 (Note: This source comes from the Native American ethnobotany database (http://naeb.brit.org/) which lists the plant as Oligoneuron rigidum var. rigidum. Accessed 19 January 2018

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15568528 rigida Plants described in 1753 Flora of Canada Flora of the United States Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus