18. S. odòra, Ait. (Sweet Golden-rod.) Smooth or nearly so throughout; stem slender (2–3° high), often reclined; leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, shining, pellucid-dotted; racemes spreading in a small one-sided panicle; rays 3–4, rather large.—Border of thickets in dry or sandy soil, Maine and Vt. to Ky., and southward.—The crushed leaves yield a pleasant anisate odor; but an occasional form is nearly scentless.
19. S. tortifòlia, Ell. Stem scabrous-puberulent, 2–3° high; leaves linear, short, commonly twisted, roughish-puberulent or glabrate; rays very short.—Dry soil, coast of Va. and southward.
20. S. pilòsa, Walt. Stem stout, upright (3–7° high), clothed with spreading hairs; leaves oblong-lanceolate, roughish, hairy beneath, at least on the midrib, serrulate, the upper ovate-lanceolate or oblong and entire, closely sessile; racemes many, recurved, in a dense pyramidal panicle; rays 7–10, very short.—Low grounds, pine barrens of N. J. to Va. and southward.
[=] 5. Heads small or middle-sized, racemosely paniculate; leaves broad or ample, veiny, at least the lower serrate (or entire in n. 28); involucral scales obtuse.
21. S. pátula, Muhl. Stem strongly angled, smooth (2–4° high); leaves (4–8´ long) ovate, acute, serrate, pale, very smooth and veiny underneath, but the upper surface very rough, like shagreen; racemes rather short and numerous on the spreading branches; heads rather large.—Swamps; common.
22. S. rugòsa, Mill. Rough-hairy, especially the very leafy stem (1–6° high); leaves ovate-lanceolate, elliptical or oblong, often thickish and very rugose; racemes spreading; involucral scales linear; rays 6–9; the disk-flowers 4–7. (S. altissima, Torr. & Gray, not L.)—Borders of fields and copses; very common, presenting a great variety of forms; usually one of the lowest of common Golden-rods. It flowers early. Aug.–Sept.
23. S. ulmifòlia, Muhl. Stem smooth, the branches hairy; leaves thin, elliptical-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, pointed, tapering to the base, loosely veined, beset with soft hairs beneath; racemes panicled, recurved-spreading; involucral scales lanceolate-oblong; rays about 4.—Low copses; common.—Too near the last; distinguished only by its smooth stem and thin larger leaves.
24. S. Ellióttii, Torr. & Gray. Smooth; stem stout (1–3° high), very leafy; leaves elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, acute (2–3´ long), closely sessile, slightly serrate, strongly veined, thick, smooth both sides, shining above; heads in dense spreading racemes which are crowded in a close pyramidal panicle; peduncles and achenes strigose-pubescent. (S. elliptica, Torr. & Gray, not Ait.)—Swamps (fresh or brackish) near the coast, Mass. to N. J. and southward.—Heads showy, 3´´ long; the rays 8–12.
25. S. neglécta, Torr. & Gray. Smooth; stem stout (2–4° high), less leafy; leaves thickish, smooth both sides, opaque; the upper oblong-lanceolate, mostly acute and nearly entire; the lower ovate-lanceolate or oblong, sharply serrate, tapering into a petiole; racemes short and dense, at length spreading, disposed in an elongated or pyramidal close panicle; peduncles and achenes nearly glabrous.—Swamps, Maine to Md., Wisc., and Minn.—Heads rather large, crowded; the racemes at first erect and scarcely one-sided. Very variable, the forms approaching n. 16 and 27.
Var. linoìdes, Gray. The most slender form; radical leaves 4–8´ long and 4–6´´ wide, the upper very small, erect, branches of panicle rather few, one-sided; rays 2–5. (S. linoides, Torr. & Gray.)—Mass. to N. J.