Solidago velutina, the threenerve goldenrod or velvety goldenrod, is a plant species native to Mexico and to the western United States. The species has been found in southwestern Oregon, east to the Black Hills of South Dakota, and as far south as México State in the central part of the Republic of México.Flora of North America, Solidago velutina, de Candolle, 1836. Velvety or three-nerved goldenrod Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution mapDe Candolle, A. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 5: 332. 1836. It is classified as a member of Subsection Nemorales.Nesom, G.L. Phytologia. 75: 8. 1993.Flora of North America, Solidago Subsection Nemorales, vol 20 p 158
Recent taxonomic treatments have expanded the concept of S. velutina to include S. californica and S. sparsiflora, long considered by many to be distinct species.Nesom, G.L. 1989. Taxonomy of Solidago velutina (Asteraceae: Astereae) with a new, related species from México These are now often treated as subspecies:
Solidago velutina subsp. californica (Nutt.) Semple - California, Oregon Solidago velutina subsp. sparsiflora (A.Gray) Semple
Another infraspecific taxon is also recognized by some authors:
Solidago velutina var. nevadensis (A. Gray) C.E.S. Taylor & R.J. Taylor
Description Solidago velutina has a basal rosette of leaves that are still present at flowering time. The leaves get progressively smaller higher up on the stem. Each leaf has three prominent veins running from the base to near the tip. One plant can produce as many as 500 small yellow flower heads in a large, branching array at the top of the plant.
Galls This species is host to the following insect induced galls: Asteromyia carbonifera (Osten Sacken, 1862) Procecidochares anthracina (Doane, 1899) Rhopalomyia cruziana Felt, 1908 external link to gallformers
References
External links Photo of herbarium specimen at University of Texas Herbarium, collected in Coahuila in 1995