Solidago roanensis Porter

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