Solidago nemoralis Aiton
Gray goldenrod, field goldenrod
Gray or field goldenrod is a native of North America. For a comparison chart of some of the varieties of goldenrods, see Solidago.
Plants: 6–30″ (15–76 cm) tall, smaller than many goldenrods. The main stem is reddish or gray-green, with short grayish-white hairs.
Leaves: Gray-green, alternate, lance-like (“lanceolate”) or sometimes oval, up to 4 ⨉ ¾″ (10 ⨉ 1.9 cm), becoming smaller higher on the stem. They are serrated or sometimes smooth. When the serrations are present, they are “crenate-serrate”—sometimes rounded, sometimes sharp-edged. At the base of each leaf there are often two side-pointing smaller leaflets (“wings”). Fine hairs on the leaves make them feel somewhat rough, like fine sandpaper.
Flowers: Flowerheads may be narrow, or wider at the base; they are 3–10 ⨉ 1–4″ (7.6–25 ⨉ 2.5–10 cm) wide. Each composite flower is less than ¼″ (6.3 mm) around, with 5-11 ray florets and 3-10 disc florets.
Fruits: Flowers become small spherical arrangements of seeds on “parachutes,” called cypselae, like dandilions gone to seed. The cypselae are 1/32–1/16″ (0.5–2 mm) in diameter.
Habitats: Dry fields, dry open woods.
Edibility: Not edible.
Online References:
References:
8/22/2012 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 6 × 7″ (14 × 18 cm) 
8/30/2012 · Orange Trail, Willard Brook State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm) 
8/22/2012 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm) 
8/30/2012 · Orange Trail, Willard Brook State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) 
8/22/2012 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) 
9/14/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 6 × 8″ (14 × 20 cm) 
8/22/2012 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) 
8/22/2012 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) 
8/30/2012 · Orange Trail, Willard Brook State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
8/30/2012 · Orange Trail, Willard Brook State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) 
9/14/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (19 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain 
10/24/2012 · By Jacquelyn Boyt ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Solidago | From Latin solido, “to make whole or heal,” because it was believed these species had healing properties |
| Species | nemoralis | "Pertaining to woods or groves" (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
Solidago nemoralis description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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