Solidago racemosa

Racemose Goldenrod

Solidago racemosa Greene is rare on calcareous rocks, ledges and cliffs along rivers at lower elevations in disjunct populations in Québec, New Brunswick, Maine, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky (Semple et al. 2019).  The species was treated as Solidago simplex var. racemosa (Greene) Ringius by Semple & Cook (2006 FNA) and included in the eastern ssp. randii.  Semple & Peirson (2013) supported recognition of the taxon at the species level. The species is tetraploid throughout its range and hexaploid at one location in West Virginia (Peirson et al. 2012). 

Semple et al. (2019) presented a multivariate analysis of all 13 species of S. subsect. Humiles.  Solidago racemosa was included in multiple analyses comparing it to all other species, to just the 6 species native to mid western and northeastern US and eastern Canada, to S. randii and to S. arenicola.  Specimens of S. racemosa separated well from those of S. randii and from those of S. arenicola, but less so in the analyses with all species, sometimes being placed a posteriori into S. ontarioensis. A collection included in the analyses as a member of S. racemosa (Morton NA4142 TRT from Percé Mt., Gaspésie, Québec) was reported to be diploid (Morton 1981) and was discussed by Ringius (1985) but not assigned to any variety within S. glutinosa sensu lato. If the diploid count (Morton 1981) was made from the rootstock of the specimen on the voucher herbarium sheet, then it is the only diploid count for S. racemosa.  In the S. randii/S. racemosa analysis the specimen was assigned a posteriori to S. racemosa with 77% probability.  The single S. racemosa specimen from Kentucky (Peirson 612 MICH) included in the analyses was assigned a posteriori to S. racemosa with 100% probability in the S. arenicola/S. racemosa analysis.