Solidago squarrosa

SIMILAR SPECIES: Solidago is an extremely complex genus with many species in Ohio. S. squarrosa is distinguished from other similar species by a combination of leaf and flower characters. Non-flowering material cannot be identified with certainty.

TOTAL RANGE: N.B. to s. Ont., s. to OH, s. IN, and in s. uplands to NC.

STATE RANGE: There are post-1960 collections from Ashtabula, Athens, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, and Vinton Counties, as well as a Washington County specimen with vague locational information. There are pre-1960 records from 11 counties: Ashland, Erie, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Ross, Scioto, and Summit.

STATE STATUS: 1980-1995: Threatened, 1996-1999: Potentially Threatened, 2000 to present: Threatened.

HABITAT: Rocky upland woods, thickets, and clearings.

HAZARDS: Unknown, perhaps overshading by woody species as a result of succession.

RECOVERY POTENTIAL: Unknown. However, this species may respond favorably to thinning of forest canopies or planting in its native habitat.

INVENTORY GUIDELINES: Examination of the complete plant, including underground parts, basal leaves, and mature flowering or fruiting material, is necessary for positive identification of species of the genus Solidago.

COMMENTS: This is a fairly distinct, showy-flowered plant that is unlikely to be overlooked or misidentified. Its relatively numerous historical records suggest that it was once widely scattered throughout eastern Ohio, but is now, for the most part, restricted to the southern part of the state. It should be sought throughout eastern and southern Ohio.

SELECTED REFERENCES:

Cronquist, A. 1980. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States. Vol. I. Asteraceae. Univ. of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. xv + 261 p.

Fisher, T.R. 1988. The Dicotyledoneae of Ohio. Part 3. Asteraceae. Ohio State Univ. Press, Columbus. 280 pp.

Division of Natural Areas and Preserves

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Created: 1/1983 James F. Burns

Database Code: SPNX.683