Solidago canadensis L. var scabra Torr. & A. Gray

Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, Chapter 7: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types (part S), Order out of Chaos. Linnaean Plant Types and their Types, London: Linnaean Society of London in association with the Natural History Museum, pp. 806-877 : 863

Solidago altissima Linnaeus , Species Plantarum 2: 878. 1753.

"Habitat in America septentrionali." RCN: 6348.

Lectotype (Reveal & al. in Huntia 7: 238. 1987): [icon] "Virga aurea Marilandica, spicis florum racemosis, foliis integris, scabris" in Martyn, Hist. Pl. Rar.: 13, t. 13. 1728.

Current name: Solidago canadensis L. var scabra Torr. & A. Gray ( Asteraceae ).

Note: Gray (in Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 177. 1882), in a study of the Solidago material in the Linnaean herbarium, concluded that the specimens associated with this name "are confounded" and that the cited Martyn plate is "the true original of the Linnaean species". Gray’s conclusion was accepted and followed by Fernald (in Rhodora 11: 91. 1908), and formalised by Reveal & al. (in Huntia 7: 238. 1987), and accepted here. Mackenzie (in Rhodora 29: 73. 1927) claimed that Linnaeus’ original concept (based on what was in cultivation in Uppsala) was of S. rugosa Mill. and proposed that usage of S. canadensis should revert to that. However, Mackenzie did not typify the name to effect this change. Taylor & Taylor (in Sida 10: 231. 1984) indicated unspecified material in LINN as “type” but did not distinguish between the several sheets noted by Gray. These collections are not part of a single gathering so Art. 9.15 does not apply.