User:Amina0303/Solidago plumosa

Introduction

Solidago plumosa Small, commonly known as the Yadkin River goldenrod, is a rare species of goldenrod native to North Carolina, United States. First described by botanist John Kunkel Small in the early 20th century, this plant is primarily restricted to the banks of the Yadkin River in the central Piedmont region of North Carolina. It is characterized by its delicate, plume-like inflorescences and narrow, lance-shaped leaves, distinguishing it from other species within the Solidago genus. Due to its limited distribution and ongoing habitat degradation, S. plumosa is considered critically endangered, with conservation efforts being key to preventing its extinction. Solidago plumosa thrives in rocky, riverine environments where the soil composition and hydrology create a unique microhabitat essential for its survival. This goldenrod is often found in association with other riparian species that are adapted to the periodic flooding and drought cycles common to its habitat. Recent studies have highlighted the plant's ecological role, particularly in promoting soil stabilization along riverbanks, as well as supporting pollinators, including bees and butterflies, by providing late-season nectar sources. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in open areas such as meadows, prairies, and savannas. They are mostly native to North America, including Mexico; a few species are native to South America and Eurasia. Some American species have also been introduced into Europe and other parts of the world. (the section that is in bold was already part of the article)

Description

Solidago species are perennials growing from woody caudices or rhizomes. Their stems range from decumbent (crawling) to ascending or erect, with a range of heights going from 5 cm (2.0 in) to over a meter. Most species are unbranched, but some do display branching in the upper part of the plant. Both leaves and stems vary from glabrous (hairless) to various forms of pubescence (strigose, strigillose, hispid, stipitate-glandular or villous). In some species, the basal leaves are shed before flowering. The leaf margins are most commonly entire, but often display heavier serration. Some leaves may display trinerved venation rather than the pinnate venation usual across Asteraceae. The flower is also the state flower of Kentucky.

The flower heads are usually of the radiate type (typical daisy flower heads with distinct ray and disc florets) but sometimes discoid (with only disc florets of mixed, sterile, male and types). Only ray florets are female, others are male, hermaphroditic or entire sterile. Head involucres are campanulate to cylindric or attenuate. Floret corollas are usually yellow, but white in the ray florets of a few species (such as Solidago bicolor); they are typically hairless. Heads usually include between 2 and 35 disc florets, but in some species this may go up to 60. Filaments are inserted closer to the base of the corolla than its middle. Numerous heads are usually grouped in complex compound inflorescences where heads are arranged in multiple racemes, panicles, corymbs, or secund arrays (with florets all on the same side).

Solidago cypselae are narrowly obconic to cylindrical in shape, and they are sometimes somewhat compressed. They have eight to 10 ribs usually and are hairless or moderately hispid. The pappus is very big with barbellate bristles. The many goldenrod species can be difficult to distinguish, due to their similar bright, golden-yellow flower heads that bloom in late summer. Propagation is by wind-disseminated seeds or by spreading underground rhizomes which can form colonies of vegetative clones of a single plant. They are mostly short-day plants and bloom in late summer and early fall. Some species produce abundant nectar when moisture is plentiful, or when the weather is warm and sunny.

The section Ptarmicoidei is sometimes treated as a separate genus Oligoneuron, and is dropped by flat-topped to rounded corymbiform flowerheads. (This Section was already described in the main article)

Taxonomy

Solidago is in the family Asteraceae (formerly known as Compositae), a diverse and widespread clade containing approximately 23,000 species and 12 tribes, which inhabit all continents except Antarctica. Within Asteraceae, Solidago is in the tribe Astereae and the subtribe Solidagininaeae.

The genus Solidago is monophyletic as indicated by morphological characters and molecular evidence. All Solidago species are herbaceous perennials, growing from approximately 2 cm to 2.5 m tall. Yellow to white, pistillate ray flowers and yellow, perfect disc florets are characteristic of Solidago inflorescences, which have a wide range of shapes. Molecular studies using nuclear rDNA have hypothesized boundaries on the genus Solidago, but there have been difficulties in parsing out evolutionary relationships at the sub-genus scale and defining which should be included and separated from Solidago. (This section was already added)

Distribution and Habitat

Solidago plumosa Small is a highly localized species, endemic to the central Piedmont region of North Carolina, USA. Specifically, it is confined to a narrow range along the rocky banks of the Yadkin River, where it is adapted to the unique environmental conditions of this riparian ecosystem. The species’ entire distribution is limited to a few small populations along the Yadkin River, particularly within the boundaries of the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge. The restricted distribution makes this species one of the rarest goldenrods in the United States https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=SOPL The habitat of S. plumosa is characterized by rocky, well-drained riverbanks, where periodic flooding and fluctuating water levels create a dynamic environment. These conditions contribute to the formation of specific microhabitats essential for the growth and survival of S. plumosa. The plant thrives in areas with thin soils and minimal competition from larger, more aggressive species. The shallow, stony soils along the riverbanks also help limit the encroachment of invasive species, allowing S. plumosa to occupy niche habitats (Alonso & Akins, 2019). However, this also makes the plant vulnerable to environmental changes, as alterations in water flow, such as those caused by dam construction, can significantly impact its survival.

Solidago plumosa is typically found in areas exposed to full sunlight, as it is intolerant of shaded conditions. The combination of high light availability and well-drained soils helps the species establish and maintain its populations, albeit on a small scale. The plant is also adapted to occasional disturbance from flooding, which can clear competing vegetation and create open patches where it can successfully establish (Anderson & Shew, 2016). However, changes in natural flooding regimes due to human activities have disrupted these conditions, contributing to its endangered status.

The narrow distribution of S. plumosa makes it particularly susceptible to habitat destruction. Human activities such as damming, water extraction, and urban development along the Yadkin River have significantly reduced the available habitat for this species. Additionally, invasive plants like Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) and Pueraria montana (kudzu) have further encroached on the remaining populations, competing for space and resources. As a result, conservation efforts are focused not only on habitat protection but also on managing invasive species and restoring the natural hydrological conditions that S. plumosa depends on (Weakley et al., 2017)

Ecology

Goldenrod is considered a keystone species, and has been called the single most important plant for North American pollinator biodiversity. Goldenrod species are used as a food source by the larvae of many Lepidoptera species. As many as 104 species of butterflies and moths use it as a host plant for their larvae, and 42 species of bees are goldenrod specialists, visiting only goldenrod for food. Some lepidopteran larvae bore into plant tissues and form a bulbous tissue mass called a gall around it, upon which the larva then feeds. Various parasitoid wasps find these galls and lay eggs in the larvae, penetrating the bulb with their ovipositors. Woodpeckers are known to peck open the galls and eat the insects in the center.

Goldenrods have become invasive species in many parts of the world outside their native range, including China, Japan, Europe and Africa. Solidago canadensis, which was introduced as a garden plant in Central Europe, has become common in the wild, and in Germany is considered an invasive species that displaces native vegetation from its natural habitat. (This section is old)

Cultural significance

[edit] The goldenrod is the state flower of the U.S. states of Kentucky (adopted 1926) and Nebraska (adopted 1895). Solidago altissima, tall goldenrod, was named the state wildflower of South Carolina in 2003. The sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora) is the state herb of Delaware. Goldenrod was the state flower of Alabama, but it was later rejected in favor of the camellia. (Old stub)

References

1. Peirson, Jess A., Anton A. Reznicek, and John C. Semple. "Polyploidy, infraspecific cytotype variation, and speciation in Goldenrods: The cytogeography of Solidago subsect. Humiles (Asteraceae) in North America." Taxon 61.1 (2012): 197-210.

2. Semple, John C., and R. E. Cook. "The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 61. Solidago canadensis L." Canadian Journal of Plant Science, vol. 67, no. 4, 1987, pp. 1123-1141.

3. Abreu, Inês, et al. "Pollen morphology of selected species of Solidago and Aster(Asteraceae) in Portugal." Grana, vol. 41, no. 4, 2002, pp. 227-233.

4. Palmer, William E., et al. "The effects of herbaceous field borders on upland game birds in southern agricultural systems.

" The Wildlife Society Bulletin, vol. 36, no. 3, 2008, pp. 646-653 "Solidago sect. Ptarmicoidei in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2024-10-25.