Shadowy goldenrod
Solidago sciaphila Steele is endemic to bluffs along the Mississippi R. in southern Minnesota and Wisconsin and northern Iowa and Illininois (Semple & Cook 2006 FNA). It can be similar to S. speciosabut has more serrate lower and mid stem leaves and is generally smaller to much smaller when growing in pockets of shallow soil on cliffs. Small plants are similar to S. hispida in general appearance. The species is tetraploid (2n=36). Semple and Cook (2022) published cytogeography maps for S. sciaphila and related species.
Semple et al. (2017) included S. sciaphila in a multivariate study of the S. bicolor complex along with S. hispida, S. porteri, and S. roanensis, and more broadly S. erecta. It was also compared to S. speciosa. Semple and Beck (2021) included S. sciaphila in S. ser. Albigula of S. subsect. Erectae.
Semple, J.C., L. Tong, Y. A. Chong and M. Kaddoura. 2017. Multivariate studies of Solidago subsect. Squarrosae. II. The Solidago bicolor –S. hispida complex (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2017-33: 1–44.
Semple, J.C. and J.B. Beck. 2021. A revised infrageneric classification of Solidago (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2021‑10. 1‑6.
Semple, J.C. and R.E. Cook. 2022. The cytogeography of Solidagosect. Erectae, sect. Villosicarpae, sect. Squarrosae, and sect. Brintonia (Asteraceae: Astereae). Taxonomy 2: 261–278.
Last update 4 July 2022 by J.C. Semple
© 2022 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated