Solidago asperata | Astereae Lab | University of Waterloo

Big-toothed Canada Goldenrod

Solidago asperata Banks ex Pursh is the oldest validly published name in the S. bartramiana, S. brendae, S. fallax complex (Semple 2026) which has been treated as part of S. lepida or S. canadensis by various authors (e.g. S. lepida var. fallax Fernald in 1915). Semple and Cook (2006 FNA) treated the species as S. lepida subsp. fallax (Fern.) Semple. Semple et al. (2013) presented statistical support for recognizing the species and its two varieties but under the name S. fallax. The species is native to eastern Canada.

Solidago asperata has broader mid and upper leaves than those of S. bartramiana (synonym: S. brendae; Semple 2023). Both species have inflorescences that are usually more leafy compared to those of S. canadensis. The leaves usually have large coarse serrations along the mid and upper stem leaf margins. Involucre height is greater in S. asperata (diploid 2n=18, tetraploid 2n=36, and hexaploid 2n=54) than in S. canadensis (diploids only) with higher ploidy levels having larger involucres. Semple and Chmielewski (2022) reviewed published counts for S. asperata using the synonym S. fallax and mapped the locations of all counts. Solidago asperata can be confused with likely introduced hexaploid plants of S. lepida occurring near the Québec-New Brunswick border.

Semple (2026) recognized two varieties differing in the density of hairs on the stems and leaves:

var. asperata (smooth lower to mid stem; leaves sparsely to moderately finely strigose)
var. molina (very sparsely to moderately hairy lower to mid stem; leaves somewhat hairy)

Semple, J.C. 2013. A new species of Triplinerviae goldenrod in eastern Canada (Asteraceae: Astereae): Solidago brendiae. Phytoneuron 2013-57: 1–9.

Semple, J.C., H. Faheemuddin, Y.A. Chong, M.K. Sorour, J.A. Hood, I. Khamis, Y. Ma, and K. Kornobis. 2013. A multivariate morphometric study of the Solidago canadensis / S. lepida complex of Solidago subsect. Triplinerviae. I. Northeastern taxa (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2013-58: 1–20.

Semple, J.C. and J.G. Chmielewski. 2022. Cytogeography of Solidago ser. Canadenses (Asteraceae: Astereae): S. brendae, S. canadensis, S. elongata, S. fallax, S. lepida, S. rupestris, S. shortii, and S. turneri. Phytoneuron 2022-57. 1-17.Semple, J.C. 2023. On Solidago bartramiana, S. brendae, and S. canadensis (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2023-29: 1–9.

Semple, J.C. 2026. On Solidago asperata (Asteraceae: Astereae), the oldest name in the S. bartramiana, S. brendae, S. fallax complex. Phytoneuron 2026-02. 1-9.

Last revised 18 April 2026 by J.C. Semple