Roan Mountain Goldenrod

Solidago sciaphila is similar to S. speciosa, but the proximal leaves are obviously serrate.

Plants 20–100 cm; caudices branched, sometimes elongate. Stems usually single, glabrous proximally, hirsuto-puberulent in arrays, sometimes irregularly or decurrently so proximally. Leaves: proximalmost withering, smaller; basal and proximal cauline tapering to winged petioles, blades elliptic to elliptic-obovate or subrhombic, mostly 60–150 × 10–50 mm, margins serrate, usually acuminate, glabrous or scabrellous distally; mid and distal cauline sessile, blades mostly rhombic-elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 20–40 × 5–8 mm. Heads 50–250, in elongate, narrowly paniculiform arrays, leafy-bracteate proximally, not secund, proximal branches sometimes elongated and ascending. Peduncles 1–4 mm, bracteolate. Involucres campanulate, 4–6 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, appressed, unequal (outer ¹ / 2 length of inner), linear to lanceolate-deltate (inner series usually striate with 2 prominent secondary nerves), apices narrowly acute or minutely obtuse. Ray florets 6–9; laminae 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm. Disc florets mostly 8–12; corollas 4–4.5 mm, lobes 1–1.5 mm. Cypselae (tan) 1.75–2.5 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely strigose; pappi 1.5–2.5 mm. 2n = 18.

Plants 20–70(–100) cm; caudices thick, woody. Stems single (sometimes purplish brown, ridged), glabrous, strigose distally in arrays. Leaves: basal and proximal tapering to winged petioles, blades (basal) spatulate, 20–40 mm, (proximal) obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic, 60–150(–200) × 30–55 mm, margins serrate (teeth shallow to 5 mm), ciliate, acute to obtuse, acuminate or mucronate, faces abaxially glabrate to sparsely strigose, especially on nerves, adaxially glabrous; mid and distal cauline sessile, lancelate or oblanceolate to elliptic, 30–100 × 20–40 mm, reduced distally, margins serrate to entire distally. Heads 20–180+ (1–6 per branch), in leafy wand-paniculiform arrays (2–)10–20(–40) cm, lateral branches usually not exceeding subtending leaf bracts. Peduncles 1–3 mm, strigose; bracts and bracteoles lanceolate to ovate, grading into phyllaries. Involucres campanulate, ca. 5 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, appressed, strongly unequal, outer grading from ovate bracteoles, mid oblong, rounded, inner linear-oblong, acute, glabrous. Ray florets ca. 6–10; laminae 1.5–2.5 × 0.5 mm. Disc florets ca. 10; corollas 3.5–5 mm, lobes 1–1.5 mm. Cypselae (narrowly obconic) 2.5–3 mm, moderately strigillose; pappi ca. 4 mm (sometimes weakly clavate). 2n = 36.

Aster monticola (Torrey & A. Gray) Kuntze; Solidago alleghaniensis House; S. curtisii Torrey & A. Gray var. monticola Torrey & A. Gray; S. maxonii Pollard; S. monticola (Torrey & A. Gray) Chapman 1860, not Jordan 1857; S. roanensis var. monticola (Torrey & A. Gray) Fernald

Solidago roanensis, the Roan Mountain goldenrod, is a North American species of goldenrod in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the eastern United States, primarily the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia, with some populations in the lowlands of South Carolina.

Solidago roanensis is perennial herb up to 100 cm (40 inches) tall with a branching underground caudex. One plant can produce as many as 250 small yellow flower heads in a long, narrow array.

The species is named for Roan Mountain, which straddles the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina. This is where the type specimen was collected.