Solidago altissima

Last updated

Solidago altissima
Solidago altissima 161401409.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Solidago
Species:
S. altissima
Binomial name
Solidago altissima
L.
Subspecies [2]
  • S. altissima subsp. altissima
  • S. altissima subsp. gilvocanescens(Rydb.) Semple
Synonyms [2] [3] [4]
Species
    • Doria altissima var. procera Lunell
    • Euthamia scabra Greene
    • Solidago altissima var. canescens (A.Gray) M.C.Johnst.
    • Solidago altissima var. pluricephala M.C.Johnst.
    • Solidago altissima var. procera Fernald
    • Solidago canadensis subsp. altissima (L.) O.Bolòs & Vigo
    • Solidago canadensis var. canescens A.Gray
    • Solidago canadensis f. procera (Aiton) Voss
    • Solidago canadensis var. procera (Aiton) Torr. & A.Gray
    • Solidago hirsutissima var. procera (Aiton) D.S.Carp.
    • Solidago lunellii Rydb.
    • Solidago procera Aiton
    • Solidago procera var. salicifolia Nutt.
    • Solidago scabra Muhl. ex Torr. & A.Gray
subsp. gilvocanescens
    • Doria gilvocanescens Lunell
    • Solidago altissima var. gilvocanescens (Rydb.) Semple
    • Solidago canadensis subsp. gilvocanescens (Rydb.) Á.Löve & D.Löve
    • Solidago canadensis var. gilvocanescens Rydb.
    • Solidago canescens subsp. gilvocanescens (Rydb.) Á.Löve & D.Löve
    • Solidago gilvocanescens Rydb.
    • Solidago pruinosa Greene

Solidago altissima, the tall goldenrod [5] or late goldenrod, [6] is a North American species of goldenrod in the family Asteraceae which is widespread across much of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is common in much of its range and fairly tolerant of landscapes which have been disturbed by humans. It has become naturalized in many parts of the world.

Contents

Description

Solidago altissima is one to two meters (40 to 80 inches) in height with fine hairs on the stem. The leaves are located along the stem, not in a rosette near the ground. One plant can produce as many as 1500 small yellow flower heads in a large conical array. The involucres of the main subspecies (S. a. subsp. altissima) are usually 3–4 millimeters, whereas those of S. a. subsp. gilvocanescens are usually 2–3 mm. [6]

Chromosomes

Solidago altissima has a base number of nine chromosomes (x = 9). Diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid plants with respective chromosome counts of 18, 36, and 54 have been reported among the two subspecies. [6]

Taxonomy

Solidago altissima has diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid populations as well as morphological variations which have generally led to classifying it into two subspecies. Roughly speaking, these subspecies can be identified as being from the eastern and western parts of the North American continent. At least in the Midwest, it is common to have plants of different ploidy interspersed, with little apparent tendency for one type to dominate even a fairly local geographical area. [7]

Within Solidago , S. altissima is part of the Solidago canadensis species complex, which is classified in the subsection Triplinervae. [7] S. altissima sometimes has been classified as an infraspecies of S. canadensis. [6]

Subspecies

Distribution and habitat

S. altissima is widespread across much of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. [6] It is common in much of its range and fairly tolerant of landscapes which have been disturbed by humans. [7]

S. a. subsp. altissima is in eastern Canada except Newfoundland and Labrador, and it is in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In the United States, it is east of the Mississippi River except Wisconsin, Illinois, and North Carolina; all U.S. states directly on the west of the Mississippi River; and, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Arizona, and California. In Mexico, it is in the north except on the Baja California Peninsula, Sonora, and Sinaloa. It is in all other states as far south as Oaxaca and Veracruz except Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Mexico City. It is native in all of the above states and provinces where it resides. [6] It is an introduced species in East China, South Central China, Taiwan, [8] New South Wales, [9] Korea, and Transcaucasus. [3]

S. a. subsp. gilvocanescens(Rydb.) Semple [2] is in western Canada and Ontario. In the United States, it is only east of the Mississippi River in Illinois and is then distributed west through the Great Plains states. In Mexico, it overlaps S. a. subsp. altissima except in the west. [4]

Ecology

Reproduction

Solidago altissima is self-incompatible, meaning that the pollen from one plant cannot pollinate the female flower parts of the same plant. [7]

Herbivory defense

Galls

This species is host to the following insect induced galls:

External link to gallformers

Chemical

S. altissima produce cysteine and serine protease inhibitors as an inducible defense against herbivory. [11] These protease inhibitors can negatively affect the digestive system of herbivores slowing growth and reproduction making them an effective mean of resistance. [12] The production of these inhibitors is costly and can vary between populations, possibly being lower in areas that are not subject to as much predation. [13] [11]

Ducking

Ducking has been found to occur in populations of S. altissima as a defense mechanism. This is a process in which certain individuals within a population will bow until their tops point downward in an effort to hide from egg laying insects. This bowing is temporary, only occurring during the egg laying period of species that use the plant as a host, such as goldenrod gall fly ( Eurosta solidaginis ) and the goldenrod bunch gall midge ( Rhopalomyia solidaginis ). [14] Insect species inject their eggs into goldenrod buds causing spherical swelling on the plant known as a gall. [15] Members of the population with this "candy-cane" phenotype experience a lower chance of hosting eggs and having galls formed by these herbivores. [14]

Gall of the goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis) on Solidago altissima in Guelph, Ontario Goldenrod Gall Fly (Eurosta solidaginis) Gall on Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima) - Guelph, Ontario 2014-07-05.jpg
Gall of the goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis) on Solidago altissima in Guelph, Ontario

Individuals that undergo ducking are in the minority, with most individuals staying upright through growth and flowering. [14] This genetic phenomenon, of two stem growth phenotypes within one species, is a form of dimorphism. Though ducking provides S. altissima with the benefit of being able to avoid damage from insect oviposition, the fact that it occurs in a low number of individuals in populations suggests that there is a cost to having this trait, possibly preventing it from becoming the major phenotype. [16]

Conservation

As of 2022, NatureServe listed Solidago altissima as Secure (G5) worldwide. It is Imperiled (S2) in Maine and New Brunswick and Critically Imperiled (S1) on Prince Edward Island. Its global status was last reviewed by NatureServe in May 2016. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Solidago canadensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago canadensis, known as Canada goldenrod or Canadian goldenrod, is an herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae. It is native to northeastern and north-central North America and often forms colonies of upright growing plants, with many small yellow flowers in a branching inflorescence held above the foliage. It is an invasive plant in other parts of the continent and several areas worldwide, including Europe and Asia. It is grown as an ornamental in flower gardens.

<i>Solidago juncea</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago juncea, the early goldenrod, plume golden-rod, or yellow top, is a North American species of herbaceous perennial plants of the family Asteraceae native to eastern and central Canada and eastern and central United States. It grows from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba and Minnesota south as far as northern Georgia and northern Arkansas, with a few isolated populations in Louisiana and Oklahoma.

<i>Solidago caesia</i> Species of plant

Solidago caesia, commonly named blue-stemmed goldenrod, wreath goldenrod, or woodland goldenrod, is a flowering plant native to North America.

<i>Solidago nemoralis</i> Species of plant

Solidago nemoralis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widely found in Canada and the United States. Its common names include gray goldenrod, gray-stem goldenrod, old-field goldenrod, field goldenrod, prairie goldenrod, dwarf goldenrod, and dyersweed goldenrod.

<i>Solidago rugosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago rugosa, commonly called the wrinkleleaf goldenrod or rough-stemmed goldenrod, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread across eastern and central Canada and the eastern and central United States. It is usually found in wet to mesic habitats.

<i>Solidago gigantea</i> Species of plant in the family Asteraceae native to North America

Solidago gigantea is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae. Its common names include tall goldenrod and giant goldenrod, among others.

<i>Solidago californica</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago californica is a species of goldenrod known by the common name California goldenrod.

<i>Solidago missouriensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago missouriensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Missouri goldenrod and prairie goldenrod. It is native to North America, where it is widespread across much of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It grows from British Columbia east to Manitoba, south as far as Sonora, Coahuila, Texas, and Mississippi.

<i>Solidago odora</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago odora, the sweet goldenrod, anisescented goldenrod or fragrant goldenrod, is a North American species of goldenrod within the family Asteraceae. The plant is native to the United States and Mexico, found in every coastal state from Veracruz to New Hampshire and as far inland as Ohio, Missouri, and Oklahoma. It flowers from July through October.

<i>Solidago velutina</i> Species of flowering plant

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. It is classified as a member of Subsection Nemorales.

<i>Solidago fistulosa</i> Species of plant

Solidago fistulosa, the pine barren goldenrod, is a plant species native to low-lying coastal areas of eastern North America. It grows in every state bordering on the Gulf of Mexico or on the Atlantic Ocean from Louisiana to New Jersey. It is generally found in bogs, along the edges of marshes, in drainage ditches, etc.

<i>Solidago puberula</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago puberula, the downy goldenrod, is a plant species native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia and Ontario south to Florida and Louisiana. Two subspecies are commonly recognized:

<i>Solidago arguta</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago arguta, commonly called Atlantic goldenrod, cut-leaf goldenrod, and sharp-leaved goldenrod, is a species of flowering plant native to eastern and central North America. It grows along the Gulf and Atlantic states of the United States from Texas to Maine, inland as far as Ontario, Illinois, and Kansas. It is primarily found in areas of woodland openings, such as outcrops or clearings.

<i>Solidago rigida</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago rigida, known by the common names stiff goldenrod and stiff-leaved goldenrod, is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae. It has a widespread distribution in Canada and the United States, where it is found primarily east of the Rocky Mountains. It is typically found in open, dry areas associated with calcareous or sandy soil. Habitats include prairies, savannas, and glades.

<i>Solidago curtisii</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago curtisii, commonly called Curtis' goldenrod and mountain decumbent goldenrod, is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is the eastern part of the United States from Pennsylvania to Mississippi and Alabama, primarily in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

<i>Solidago latissimifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago latissimifolia, common name Elliott's goldenrod, is North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Atlantic Coast of the United States and Canada, from Nova Scotia south to Alabama and Florida.

<i>Solidago mollis</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago mollis is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names velvety goldenrod, soft goldenrod or Ashly goldenrod. It is native to the central United States and central Canada, primarily the Great Plains from the Canadian Prairie Provinces south as far as Texas and New Mexico.

<i>Solidago ulmifolia</i> Species of plant

Solidago ulmifolia, commonly known as elmleaf goldenrod, is a North American species of goldenrod in the family Asteraceae. It is found in Canada and the eastern and central United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldenrod gall fly</span> Species of fly

The goldenrod gall fly, also known as the goldenrod ball gallmaker, is a species of fly native to North America. The species is best known for the characteristic galls it forms on several species in the Solidago, or goldenrod, genus. The fly's eggs are inserted near the developing buds of the plant. After hatching, the larvae migrate to an area below the plant's developing buds, where they then induce the plant's tissues to form into the hardened, bulbous chamber referred to as a gall. E. solidaginis’s interactions with its host plant(s) and insect, as well as avian, predators have made it the centerpiece of much ecological and evolutionary biology research, and its tolerance of freezing temperatures has inspired studies into the anti-freeze properties of its biochemistry.

<i>Rhopalomyia solidaginis</i> Species of fly

Rhopalomyia solidaginis, the goldenrod bunch gall, is a species of gall midges, insects in the family Cecidomyiidae The galls of this species have the following host species of goldenrods:Solidago altissima, Solidago canadensis, Solidago rugosa They have been found across eastern North American.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 5 POWO (2022). "Solidago altissima L." Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 POWO (2022). "Solidago altissima subsp. altissima". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  4. 1 2 POWO (2022). "Solidago altissima subsp. gilvocanescens". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  5. USDA, NRCS (2014). "Solidago altissima". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
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  7. 1 2 3 4 Halverson, Kristy; Heard, Stephen B.; Nason, John D.; Stireman, John O. (2008). "Origins, distribution, and local co-occurrence of polyploid cytotypes in Solidago altissima (Asteraceae)". American Journal of Botany. 95 (1): 50–58. doi:10.3732/ajb.95.1.50. PMID   21632314.
  8. Chen, Yilin; Semple, John C. (2006). "Solidago altissima". Flora of China. Retrieved 7 October 2022 via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  9. "Solidago altissima". Atlas of Living Australia (ala.org.au). Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  10. Kaltenbach, J.H. (1869). "Die deutschen Phytophagen aus der Klasse der Insekten [concl.]". Verh. Naturh. Ver. Preuss. Rheinl. 26 (3, 6): 106–224.
  11. 1 2 Bode, Robert F.; Halitschke, Rayko; Kessler, André (2013). "Herbivore damage-induced production and specific anti-digestive function of serine and cysteine protease inhibitors in tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima L. (Asteraceae)". Planta. 237 (5): 1287–1296. doi:10.1007/s00425-013-1845-9. ISSN   0032-0935. PMID   23371287. S2CID   14380065.
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  13. Heath, Jeremy J.; Kessler, André; Woebbe, Eric; Cipollini, Don; Stireman, John O. (2014). "Exploring plant defense theory in tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima". New Phytologist. 202 (4): 1357–1370. doi:10.1111/nph.12755. ISSN   0028-646X. PMID   24611577.
  14. 1 2 3 Wise, Michael J.; Abrahamson, Warren G. (2008). "Ducking as a means of resistance to herbivory in tall goldenrod, Solidago Altissima". Ecology. 89 (12): 3275–3281. doi:10.1890/08-0277.1. ISSN   0012-9658. PMID   19137934.
  15. Newell, Sandra J. (1994). "Occurrence of goldenrod galls: study of insect ovipositing behavior". The American Biology Teacher. 56 (1): 51–54. doi:10.2307/4449743. ISSN   0002-7685. JSTOR   4449743.
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