Solidago puberula

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Solidago puberula.jpg

| genus = Solidago

| species = puberula

| authority = Nutt.

}}

Solidago puberula, the downy goldenrod,{{PLANTS|id=SOPU|taxon=Solidago puberula|accessdate=19 November 2015}} is a plant species native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia and Ontario south to Florida and Louisiana. Two subspecies are commonly recognized:[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Solidago+puberula The Plant List][https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9309986#page/1651/mode/1up Semple, John Cameron. 2003. New names and combinations in goldenrods, Solidago (Asteraceae: Astereae). Sida 20(4): 1605-1616.]

• Solidago puberula subsp. puberula
• Solidago puberula subsp. pulverulenta

Subsp. pulverulenta has smaller but more numerous leaves, generally 50–110 leaves {{convert|10|-|40|mm|in|abbr=on}} long halfway up the stem, as opposed to 10-60 leaves {{convert|40|-|50|mm|in|abbr=on}} long for subsp. puberula.

Solidago puberula is a perennial herb up to {{convert|100|cm|in|round=0.5|abbr=on}} tall, with a branched woody rootstock. It can have 1-5 puberulent (hairy) stems. Leaves are toothed, tapering at the tip, puberulent on both sides. Flowering heads number 15–250, in an elongate, paniculiform array. Ray flowers are yellow, 9–16 per head. Disc flowers number 6–15 per head, each up to {{convert|3|mm|abbr=on}} long.[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/723915#page/162/mode/1up Nuttall, Thomas. 1818. Genera of North American Plants 2: 162.]Gleason, H. A. & A.J. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada (ed. 2) i–910. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx.Cronquist, A.J. 1980. Asteraceae. 1: i–xv, 1–261. In Vascular Flora of the Southeastern United States. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.Scoggan, H. J. 1979. Dicotyledoneae (Loasaceae to Compositae). Part 4. 1117–1711 pp. In Flora of Canada. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa.