Biosystematic studies and monograph of the goldenrod genus Solidago L. (Compositae: Astereae)

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The main objective of the proposed research is to complete biosystematic and nomenclatural studies needed for a monograph of the entire goldenrod genus Solidago (Compositae: Astereae). As well, long term research on asters will continue. Solidago includes more than 100 species distributed in North and South America and across Eurasia with several native North America species now being dominant invasive plants in Europe and eastern Asia. The applicant has worked on Solidago for four decades and has seen most N.A. species in the field and cultivated others from South America and Eurasia. Collaboration with researchers on a DNA based phylogeny will continue. Cytogeographic and multivariate morphometric analyses of all groups within the genus are nearly complete. During the past five years over 2000 specimens were scored for morphogy studies done to resolve species limits and to expand work done for the treatments of the genus by the applicant for Flora North American and the English language version of the Flora of China and to resolve problems noted in the books. Dozens of manuscripts on cytogeography and morphological analyses of species groups within the genus will be submitted for publication. Visits to large herbaria across Canada, in Europe and in the U.S. are needed to create detailed distribution maps and resolve nomenclature problems. The applicant has acquired a rare, very high level of knowledge on these sometimes common and widely distributed, sometimes very rare and narrowly distributed plant species that make up important parts of floral communities in the summer and fall over much of the multi-continent distribution of the genus. Turning this knowledge into a detailed, richly illustrated monograph of the entire genus has been a long term goal. Completion of the monograph ensures that this knowledge is set down in the most useful format for transfer to ecologists, naturalists and the general public: a book with descriptions, distribution maps, line drawing illustrations, and detailed discussions of each kind of goldenrod that will facilitate identification of members of a genus widely acknowledged to be a one of the most taxonomically challenging genera of flowering plants.