The cytotaxonomy of Solidago nemoralis (Compositae: Astereae)

Abstract

Chromosome number determinations were made from 218 populations of Solidago nemoralis collected throughout the range of the species in Canada and the United States. All individuals of ssp. decemflora were tetraploid (2n = 36; 28 populations); these came from the prairies and adjacent eastern deciduous forest states and provinces. The majority of the collections of ssp. nemoralis were diploid (2n = 18; 161 populations) and came from throughout the eastern deciduous forest region of eastern North America. Tetraploids (2n = 36; 29 populations) of ssp. nemoralis were less frequent and occurred scattered across the eastern and northern portions of the range of the subspecies. The cytotype distribution pattern of the two subspecies of Solidago nemoralis is representative of what appears to be a frequent evolutionary strategy in the goldenrods.