Solidago villosicarpa

Glandular Wand Goldenrod

Solidago villosicarpa LeBlond is one of the most distinct species in S. subg. Solidago and can be very showy.  The large glandular involucres with appressed phlyllaries and long showy rays are unique in the genus (Semple & Cook 2006 FNA).  The species is very rare and found in small disjunct areas of coastal of North Carolina in a distinctive oak community.  The species has large heads with cylindrical involucres like S. squarrosa, but the phyllaries are appressed.  The species is diploid 2n=18. Semple and Cook (2022) published cytogeography maps for S. villosicarpa and related species.

Solidago villosicarpa range Semple draft

Solidago villosicarpa was included in a multivariate study of 14 species of S. subsect. Squarrosae as defined at the time (Semple et al. 2017) and in a study of just 5 species of the subsection (Semple et al. 2017).  In both studies, S. villosicarpa was found to be one of the most distinctive species in the subsection as defined at the time.  Semple and Beck (2021) placed the species by itself in S. sect. Villosicarpae of S. subg. Solidago.

Permission to visit the type location at USMC Camp Lejeune is gratefully acknowledge and Craig Tinbrink is thanked for his help.

Semple, J.C., L. Tong, and Y.A. Chong.  2017.  Multivariate studies of Solidago subsect. Squarrosae. I. The Solidago speciosa complex (Asteraceae: Astereae).  Phytoneuron 2017-18: 1–23.

Semple, J.C., L. Tong, and A. Chuong.  2017.  Multivariate studies of Solidago subsect. Squarrosae.  III. S. georgiana, S. porteri, S. roanensis, S. squarrosa and S. villosicarpa (Asteraceae: Astereae).  Phytoneuron 2017-55: 1–17.

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 Solidago sect. 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