Common name:
California goldenrod
Family:
Scientific name:
Solidago californica
Synonym:
Solidago velutina ssp californica
Main flower color:
Range:
California, southwest Oregon and a small part of west Nevada
Height:
Up to 4.5 feet
Habitat:
Grassland, chaparral, oak woodland, forest margins, disturbed areas; up to 8,000 feet
Leaves:
Obovate or oblanceolate, with toothed edges, up to 5 inches long
Season:
May to November
Solidago californica is quite a widespread species, found in most parts of California, and adjacent Oregon and Nevada. Stems and leaves may be hairless, or have a sparse to dense covering of short, soft hairs. Leaves are lined by small teeth along the edges, mostly towards the tip; they grow around the base, and (becoming progressively smaller) higher up the stem.
The inflorescence is an elongated cluster, predominantly one-sided, and somewhat wider at the lower end, containing several dozen small yellow flowerheads. These are formed of 6 to 11 thin ray florets and 6 to 17 disc florets. Rays are short, less than a quarter of an inch. Phyllaries are in several rows; those in the uppermost series have a few strigose hairs. Phyllaries are not resinous.
The inflorescence is an elongated cluster, predominantly one-sided, and somewhat wider at the lower end, containing several dozen small yellow flowerheads. These are formed of 6 to 11 thin ray florets and 6 to 17 disc florets. Rays are short, less than a quarter of an inch. Phyllaries are in several rows; those in the uppermost series have a few strigose hairs. Phyllaries are not resinous.
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