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Great Plains Goldenrod, Plains Grass-leaved Goldenrod, Texas Goldentop
Euthamia gymnospermoides Greene
[formerly Solidago gymnospermoides (Greene) Fernald]
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)
▲▼ mature flowering plants
▲▼ mature flowering plants
▲▼ mature flowering plants
▲ mature flowering plants
▲ flower head inflorescences
▲▼ closer view of stems and leaves
Euthamia gymnospermoides
Greene, Texas Goldentop, Great Plains Goldenrod,
Plains Grass-leaved Goldenrod [formerly
Solidago
gymnospermoides (Greene)
Fernald]:
(Bayer Code:
not known; US Code not known)
·
Native, simple perennial wildflower grows 1-3.5 feet tall, with smooth,
hairless stems that branch mainly in upper portions as flowering commences
·
Leaves are slender, lanceolate to linear, alternate, smooth to rough
textured (from tiny stiff hairs) with 1-5 obvious veins, and some glandular dots
on both leaf surfaces
·
Head inflorescences are in flat-topped clusters at tips of stems
·
Individual heads are 1/8 to 1/4 inch diameter, with 17-22 golden yellow
ray flowers (“petals”) and 5-7 yellow disk flowers
·
Bracts below inflorescence are in overlapping rows, oval to lanceolate,
yellow, with green, round-pointed tips
·
Flowering is from late summer through fall
·
Found in prairies, pastures, non-crop areas, rangeland, in central
Midwest
·
A good autumn butterfly attractant
Like all goldenrod relatives, the pollen from this
plant is fairly large and will fall near the plant, if blown by the wind.
Goldenrods require insects for
cross-pollination, so goldenrods being considered as a major allergy source for
people is generally untrue.
Usually, it is ragweed and its relatives that bloom around the same time
that are causing the allergy symptoms; however, the less-showy ragweed
inflorescences are not noticed, but the goldenrod blooms are, which causes the
association of goldenrod with late summer and fall allergies