Solidago spithamaea
Encyclopedia
Solidago spithamaea is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name Blue Ridge goldenrod. It is native to a very small region around the border between North Carolina
and Tennessee
in the United States. Its three remaining populations are threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat. It is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.
This goldenrod
produces one or more stems from a rhizome
and caudex
base and it grows 10 to 40 centimeters tall. The plant has an unpleasant scent. The leaves vary in shape and size, the ones higher on the stem becoming smaller. The inflorescence
is a compact or spreading array of 15 to 50 or more flower heads
. Each head has a bell-shaped base about half a centimeter long which is lined with phyllaries
with pointed, darkened tips. The head contains several yellow ray florets just a few millimeters long. The fruit is an achene
with a pappus
of bristles.
This plant grows on the high summits of the Blue Ridge Mountains
in eastern North Carolina and western Tennessee. There is one population each in Avery
and Mitchell Counties
in North Carolina and Carter County, Tennessee
, a region measuring about 15 square miles. It can be found on Grandfather Mountain
, Hanging Rock
, and Roan Mountain
. It grows on rocky peaks, cliffs, and slopes covered in talus
. The habitat is mostly barren and exposed to full sun and harsh winter weather. This is one of several goldenrods that are relict species, plants that were more common when conditions were colder and wetter. As glacier
s receded, the area became warmer and drier, and plants such as this goldenrod were left in areas that most resemble the alpine climate
to which it was adapted. It now persists in the high mountain peaks that have the harshest winter conditions. Few of the relict goldenrods remain as far south as this one.
Other plants in this barren habitat include mainly grass
es and sedge
s, but there are some other rare mountain herbs and trees including Heller's blazingstar
(Liatris helleri), red spruce (Picea rubens), cliff avens
(Geum radiatum), sandmyrtle (Leiophyllum buxifolium).
The very habitat where the plant persists is an area popular for hiking
and sightseeing, and much of it has been converted to roads, trails, parking lots, and other utilities. Remaining habitat is vulnerable to trampling. Other threats include acid precipitation and climate change
.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name Blue Ridge goldenrod. It is native to a very small region around the border between North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in the United States. Its three remaining populations are threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat. It is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.
This goldenrod
Goldenrod
Solidago, commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America. There are also a few species native to Mexico, South...
produces one or more stems from a rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
and caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
base and it grows 10 to 40 centimeters tall. The plant has an unpleasant scent. The leaves vary in shape and size, the ones higher on the stem becoming smaller. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a compact or spreading array of 15 to 50 or more flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
. Each head has a bell-shaped base about half a centimeter long which is lined with phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
with pointed, darkened tips. The head contains several yellow ray florets just a few millimeters long. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with a pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
of bristles.
This plant grows on the high summits of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
in eastern North Carolina and western Tennessee. There is one population each in Avery
Avery County, North Carolina
- Climate :As a result of its relatively high elevation, Avery County has a Humid continental climate enjoying considerably cooler summers than most of the rest of the Eastern US. Likewise, winters are longer, colder and snowier than most other locations in the region. This can be evidenced by the...
and Mitchell Counties
Mitchell County, North Carolina
-National protected areas:* Blue Ridge Parkway * Pisgah National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 15,687 people, 6,551 households, and 4,736 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile . There were 7,919 housing units at an...
in North Carolina and Carter County, Tennessee
Carter County, Tennessee
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 57,424. Its county seat is Elizabethton.Carter County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined...
, a region measuring about 15 square miles. It can be found on Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state parknear Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet , it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway...
, Hanging Rock
Hanging Rock (North Carolina)
Hanging Rock, also known as Bear's Paw , is a mountain in the North Carolina High Country, next to the town of Seven Devils. It is along the Avery and Watauga border. Its elevation reaches...
, and Roan Mountain
Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)
Roan Mountain is the highpoint of the Roan-Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. The mountain is clad in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, and includes the world's largest natural rhododendron garden, and the longest...
. It grows on rocky peaks, cliffs, and slopes covered in talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
. The habitat is mostly barren and exposed to full sun and harsh winter weather. This is one of several goldenrods that are relict species, plants that were more common when conditions were colder and wetter. As glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s receded, the area became warmer and drier, and plants such as this goldenrod were left in areas that most resemble the alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
to which it was adapted. It now persists in the high mountain peaks that have the harshest winter conditions. Few of the relict goldenrods remain as far south as this one.
Other plants in this barren habitat include mainly grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es and sedge
Sedge
- Plants :* Acorus calamus, sweet flag, a plant in the Acoraceae family* Any of the plants in the family Cyperaceae- Animals :* A collective noun for several species of birds, including bitterns, cranes and herons* Sedge-fly, caddisfly- Other uses :...
s, but there are some other rare mountain herbs and trees including Heller's blazingstar
Liatris helleri
Liatris helleri is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Heller's blazing star and Heller's gayfeather. It is endemic to North Carolina in the United States, where it occurs only in the Blue Ridge Mountains...
(Liatris helleri), red spruce (Picea rubens), cliff avens
Geum radiatum
Geum radiatum is a rare species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names spreading avens, Appalachian avens, and cliff avens. It is native to the region of the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the United States, where there are eleven populations remaining...
(Geum radiatum), sandmyrtle (Leiophyllum buxifolium).
The very habitat where the plant persists is an area popular for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and sightseeing, and much of it has been converted to roads, trails, parking lots, and other utilities. Remaining habitat is vulnerable to trampling. Other threats include acid precipitation and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.