Tall Goldenrod (_Solidago altissima_) grows 2-8 ft. high, has rough leaves which are sharply toothed and prominently triple-nerved, and is topped by dense clusters of yellow flowers. Most of the goldenrods are widely distributed in North America; the tall goldenrod is abundant in dry soil from Maine to Nebraska and Texas.
Gray, Field, or Dwarf Goldenrod (_Solidago nemoralis_) has flower heads all turned to one side of the branches which top the slender wand-like stems. The stems are one half to two feet high. This is one of the most abundant goldenrods in the central and western parts of the state from July to November and ranges from Canada to Florida and Arizona.
In Texas the goldenrods are usually found only in moist soil, many eastern species growing profusely in East Texas. The three-nerved goldenrod (_Solidago trinervata_) is the common one in Southwest Texas.
Stiff or Hard-Leaved Goldenrod (_Solidago rigida_) is one of about thirty-five goldenrods found in the state. It belongs to the type which is responsible for the common name, as the yellow flowers are in heads arranged in rod-like clusters at the top of the stem. The scientific name of “Solidago,” meaning “to make whole,” had its origin in the healing properties of certain species.
The stiff goldenrod grows in dry rocky or sandy soil east of the Rocky Mountains from Southern Canada to Texas. It grows 1½-2 feet high and has broad leaves 1-2 inches long. Lindheimer’s goldenrod (_Solidago lindheimeriana_) is a similar stout, leafy-stemmed plant which is abundant in Central Texas and ranges to Kansas and Mexico. Bigelow’s goldenrod (_Solidago bigelovii_) is another species with rod-like clusters. It is found in the mountainous regions of West Texas and New Mexico.
Broom-Weed. Kindling-Weed (_Amphiachyris dracunculoides_) is a pasture pest in the southern part of the Great Plains region. The slender stem is unbranched near the base, but above the middle the numerous spreading branches form a flat-topped plant which bears many small heads of yellow flowers. The plants are often 2-4 feet high and grow in dense masses. It has been used as a broom by early settlers, Mexicans, and children at play. The resinous foliage of the dried plants was also highly valued for kindling fires.