Characteristics:
Solidago simplex is a perennial wildflower with one to several erect stems from 5-80 cm high. The herbage is glabrous throughout or somewhat sticky in the inflorescence. The basal leaves are oblanceolate to spatulate or obovate with toothed to mostly entire margins. The tips of the leaves are blunt or rounded and measure up to 15 cm long and 3 cm wide. The stem has a few leaves which become reduced upwards along the stem.
The inflorescence ranges from short and compact to elongated and narrow, the individual flower heads often subtended by long flower stems. The involucre is 4-6 mm high with shingled bracts with blunt tips. The 5-10 narrow rays are yellow and surround a narrow disk.
variety nana: Plants of alpine and subalpine habitats. 5-15 cm high with spatulate to obovate basal leaves and short, compact inflorescence.
variety simplex: Plants of lower to mid-altitude habitats in the valleys and mountains. 15-80 cm high with oblanceolate basal leaves and elongate inflorescence.
variety spathulata: Plants of coastal sand dunes. 10-60 cm high and strongly resinous and aromatic. Spatulate to obovate basal leaves. The inflorescence is elongated.
Sticky goldenrod is found on gravelly open ground in the valleys and mountains. It is not an alpine plant.
Solidago simplex may be found from the Yukon south to California and east to Quebec and south to Virginia, Arizona and New Mexico.
In the Columbia River Gorge it is only found at 1600' atop Angel's Rest.
Paul Slichter