72a. Solidago rigida Linnaeus subsp. rigida
Oligoneuron grandiflorum (Rafinesque) Small; Solidago grandiflora Rafinesque; S. rigida var. magna Clute; S. rigida var. microcephala de Candolle
Stems (robust) 60–150 cm, coarsely hispid (10–70 hairs/mm 2 ) (hairs stiff). Leaves: basal large, to 250 × 100 mm; faces moderately to densely hispid (7–50 hairs/mm 2 ); mid to distal ovate, thick. Heads usually in loose, open, spreading, flat-topped arrays, 3–20(–34) × (4.5–)6.5–18(–27) cm. Peduncles densely hispido-strigose. Phyllaries: outer hairy; inner oblong to slightly spatulate, 0.8–1.4 mm wide, glabrate to puberulent. Disc corolla lobes deep, 1.1–1.6 mm. Cypselae glabrous. 2n = 18, 36.
Flowering Aug–Oct. Prairies, glades, oak savannas, dry open areas especially on calcareous soils, disturbed grounds (railroads, etc.); 0–400+ m; Ont.; Ark., Conn., Del., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Md., Mass., Mich., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis.