Cutler’s Alpine Goldenrod
Solidago leiocarpa DC. is confined to higher alpine habitats in the mountains in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and southern Québec. It is closely related to S. multiradiata. It is distinguished by having unequal, obtuse to rounded phyllaries compared to S. multiradiataÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýS. spithamaea in eastern North America (). In a multivariate study ofÌý³§. ²õ±ð³¦³Ù.ÌýSolidago and S. sect. Multiradiatae (Semple et al. 2020), S. leiocarpa separated strongly from S. multiradiata. The species is tetraploid (2n=36; Semple & Chmielewski 2022).
It has long been treated as S. cutleri Fern. in regional floras; S. leiocarpa has nomenclatural priority.
Semple, J.C., Y. Ma, L. Tong, and M. Sorour. 2020. A multivariate morphometric analysis of Solidago sect. Solidago and S. sect. Multiradiatae (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2020-38: 1–59.
Semple, J.C., and J.G. Chmielewski. 2022. Cytogeography of Solidago sect. Multiradiatae (Asteraceae: Astereae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 107: 153–159.
Last revised 11 April 2025 by J.C. Semple
© 2025 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated.
1-4. Solidago leiocarpa. 1. Tall shoot, Ringius 1594  WAT, Coos Co., New Hampshire. 2. Higher elevation small plants, Ringius 1584  WAT, Coos Co., New Hampshire. 3. Inflorescence, R 1584. 4. Head, R 1584.