Great Plains Goldenrod
Great Plains Goldenrod, Plains Grass-leaved Goldenrod, Texas Goldentop
Euthamia gymnospermoides Greene
[formerly Solidago gymnospermoides (Greene) Fernald]
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)
▲ ▼ mature flowering plants
▲ ▼ mature flowering plants
▲ ▼ mature flowering plants
▲ mature flowering plants
▲ flower head inflorescences
▲ ▼ closer view of stems and leaves
Euthamia gymnospermoides Greene, Texas Goldentop, Great Plains Goldenrod, Plains Grass-leaved Goldenrod [formerly Solidago gymnospermoides (Greene) Fernald]: (Bayer Code: not known; US Code not known)
- Native, simple perennial wildflower grows 1-3.5 feet tall, with smooth, hairless stems that branch mainly in upper portions as flowering commences
- Leaves are slender, lanceolate to linear, alternate, smooth to rough textured (from tiny stiff hairs) with 1-5 obvious veins, and some glandular dots on both leaf surfaces
- Head inflorescences are in flat-topped clusters at tips of stems
- Individual heads are 1/8 to 1/4 inch diameter, with 17-22 golden yellow ray flowers (“petals") and 5-7 yellow disk flowers
- Bracts below inflorescence are in overlapping rows, oval to lanceolate, yellow, with green, round-pointed tips
- Flowering is from late summer through fall
- Found in prairies, pastures, non-crop areas, rangeland, in central Midwest
- A good autumn butterfly attractant
Like all goldenrod relatives, the pollen from this plant is fairly large and will fall near the plant, if blown by the wind.
Goldenrods require insects for cross-pollination, so goldenrods being considered as a major allergy source for people is generally untrue.
Usually, it is ragweed and its relatives that bloom around the same time that are causing the allergy symptoms; however, the less-showy ragweed inflorescences are not noticed, but the goldenrod blooms are, which causes the association of goldenrod with late summer and fall allergies.