Source: Endangered and Threatened Species of the Southeastern United
States (The Red Book) FWS Region 4 -- As of
2/92
WHITE-HAIRED GOLDENROD
(Solidago albopilosa)
FAMILY: Asteraceae
STATUS: Threatened, Federal Register, April 7, 1988
DESCRIPTION: The long, soft, white hairs that cover the leaves and stems
are a distinguishing characteristic of the
white-haired goldenrod. This rhizomatous, perennial herb is decumbent
or laxly spreading in its habit. Stems are slightly
zigzagged, 2 to 5.5 decimeters (dm) long, terete, and grooved. The
thin, soft leaves are alternate and are largest at the base;
however, the lowermost leaves are usually absent at flowering. Leaves
are ovate to elliptic, acute or pointed, with bases that
are almost heart shaped and coarse, serrate margins. Leaf blades are
3 to 6 centimeters (cm) long and 3 to 5 cm wide. Hairs
cover both surfaces of the leaves and are most dense along the veins.
Petioles are one-half to one-third the length of the leaf
blade and are scarcely winged to rounded. The inflorescence is composed
of axillary clusters or is sometimes thyrsoid;
however, the thyrse, when present, is poorly developed. Flower heads
are composed of four or five (rarely three) 5- to
6.4-millimeters (mm) long ray florets and more than fifteen 3-mm-long
disk florets. The flowers are fragrant and bright yellow.
The pale brown achene is 1.5- to 2.2-mm long, narrowly oblong, and
covered with ascending silvery hairs. The fine, white
pappus is about 3 mm long (Braun 1942, Gleason and Cronquist 1963,
Fernald 197O, Andreasen and Eshbaugh 1973, Kral
1980).
The white-haired goldenrod is very similar to and thought to be derived
from broad-leaf goldenrod (S. flexicaulis) (Braun
1942, Andreason and Eshbaugh 1973). White-haired goldenrod is shorter,
has smaller and thinner leaves, and is more densely
hairy than the broad-leaf goldenrod. The habitats of the two species
are also distinct. The white-haired goldenrod is found
almost exclusively behind the dripline of sandstone rockshelters and
on rock ledges, while broad-leaf goldenrod is found
primarily on the adjacent forest floor (Kral 198O, Harker et al. 1981).
White-haired goldenrod flowers from September through November and sets
fruit from mid-October through December. The
flowers are reported to be visited by bees, which are probably attracted
by the bright color and fragrance of the flowers (Braun
1942). There are also reports of syrphid flies visiting and possibly
pollinating the flowers of this species J. MacGregor, USFS,
personal communication, 199O). The viability of the plant's pollen
is reported to be high (89.2 percent) (Andreason and
Eshbaugh 1973).
The presence of a fine pappus on the fruit of this species suggests
that it is primarily dispersed by wind. Germination of
white-haired goldenrod seeds has not been studied; however, the seeds
of its relative, the broad-leaf goldenrod, have reported
germination rates of between 8O and 96 percent (Chmielewski et al.
1989). Seedlings of the white-haired goldenrod have
been seen in the field, indicating that the species can produce viable
seed (D. Dourson, USFS, personal communication, 1990).
Plants are rhizomatous, but the extent of vegetative reproduction is
not known. White-haired goldenrod is reported to hybridize
with the broad-leaf goldenrod (Braun 1942).
RANGE AND POPULATION LEVEL: White-haired goldenrod is found in Menifee,
Powell, and Wolfe counties of
east-central Kentucky. Endemic to Kentucky, the species grows behind
the dripline of sandstone rockshelters and on rock
ledges. All occurrences of the species are found within the proclamation
boundary of the Daniel Boone National Forest
(DBNF), an area managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Most of
the occurrences are on Forest Service-owned land;
however, a number of occurrences are on private inholdings within the
DBNF. The term "occurrence" is used to refer to a
discrete group of plants beneath a single rockshelter or on a single
rock ledge.
There are currently 90 known occurrences of White-haired goldenrod containing
an estimated 45,OOO stems (Kentucky
Natural Heritage Program 1990; D. Fig, USFS, personal communication,
1990). All 9O occurrences of this species are within
the proclamation boundary of the DBNF, which covers approximately 2,047,789
acres in Kentucky (669,379 acres owned by
the Forest Service) (USFS 1985). The Red River Gorge Geological Area
of the DBNF covers approximately 25,662 acres
and contains 54 occurrences (Kentucky Natural Heritage Program 1990).
The Clifty Wilderness of the DBNF, an
11,666-acre area within the eastern half of the Red River Gorge Geological
Area, contains two occurrences of the species.
HABITAT: White-haired goldenrod grows in rockshelters on the upper slopes
of the Red River Gorge, between 8OO and
1,3OO feet mean sea level in elevation. There is no concentration of
occurrences on any particular slope aspect (USFS et al.
1989); however, plants in rockshelters with north and northwest exposures
are smaller than average, perhaps due to lower light
levels or colder temperatures (Andreasen and Eshbaugh 1973). The species
is almost exclusively found in the partial shade
behind the dripline of rockshelters; it does not grow in the furthest
depths of rockshelters or in full sun (Harker et al. 1981).
Rarely, the species is found on rock ledges or in the sandy soil along
the side of a trail.
Evidence suggests that white-haired goldenrod is not found under rockshelters
with unstable ceilings that drop large amounts of
sand on plants below (J. Varner, Georgetown College, personal communication,
1990). White-haired goldenrod plants
weighted down by sand or water have lower seed production and seed
viability than unaffected plants (Varner, personal
communication, 1990). Rockshelters protect the plants from direct rain
except during the most severe storms. The species
appears to thrive in dry sandy soil.
REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS: The primary threat to the survival of white-haired
goldenrod is the many visitors to
rockshelters in the Red River Gorge area each year. In 1989, approximately
260,000 people visited the Red River Gorge
Geological Area (Fig, personal communication, 1990). The Red River
Gorge has an extensive trail system, and many of these
trails pass through or near rockshelters. Damage by visitors reached
a peak in the 197O's (Fig, personal communication,
1990). During this period, 75 percent of the occurrences of this species
were severely damaged, and 11 occurrences (3,422
individuals) were extirpated (Varner, personal communication, 199O).
One monitored occurrence declined from 415 stems to
85 stems, and another occurrence declined from 828 stems to 32 stems
between the early 197O's and the mid-1980's
(Varner, personal communication, 199O).
The heavy use of rockshelters by hikers, campers and rock climbers results
in several types of damage to individual plants.
Trampling can damage the current year's growth, or it can damage seeds
or cause them to be dispersed to unsuitable sites. If
trampling is severe, it may also damage the underground rhizomes, which
often grow only 1 to 2 cm beneath the ground surface
(D. Taylor, USFS, personal communication, 199O). Visitors also damage
plants by dumping garbage and building fires in
rockshelters. Plants that were damaged by trampling and fire building
during heavy visitation in the 197O's recolonized these
areas once they were left undisturbed (Fig, personal communication,
1990). In areas where disturbance continues for long
periods, the plants may never recover. Other goldenrod species show
reduced growth in compacted soil as compared to loose
soil (Schmid and Bazzaz 1990). Even if plants are able to recolonize
trampled areas, their growth may be stunted because of
soil compaction.
Another serious threat to the species is archaeological looters. Approximately
half of the rockshelters in this area were once
inhabited by Indian tribes (C. Isom, USFS, personal communication,
1990). As looters dig up soil in their hunt for artifacts,
they also dig up stolons and seeds of white-haired goldenrod. Plants
are unlikely to recover from such extensive damage. All
rockshelters with both white-haired goldenrod and Indian artifacts
have been disturbed by looters (Isom, personal
communication, 1990). Rockshelter soils were also mined for saltpeter
(potassium nitrate) in the past. It is possible that some
occurrences of this species were extirpated as a result of these activities.
MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION: A number of actions have already been taken
to help ensure the survival of
white-haired goldenrod occurrences. Logging policy for Forest Service-owned
land is designed to protect this plant from the
immediate effects of logging. The two occurrences of the species within
the Clifty Wilderness are protected from logging
because it is not permitted within this portion of the forest (Wehner,
personal communication, 1990). The remaining 67
occurrences that are on Forest Service-owned land are protected from
nearby logging by the Forest Service's Cliffline
Management Policy, which restricts logging adjacent to clifflines (USFS
199O). A portion of this policy is specifically aimed at
protecting rare or sensitive cliffline plants. This policy prohibits
logging from the base of the cliff downslope to the nearest break
in the slope or to 5O feet from the dripline. It also requires that
the forest above the cliff be maintained as needed to protect the
site's hydrological characteristics. It is important that the Forest
Service continue this policy and incorporate it into the
management plan for the DBNF.
Twenty-one occurrences of this species are on privately-owned land within
the DBNF. The seven landowners with the
white-haired goldenrod on their property were contacted in the early
198O's and informed of the need to protect the species
(Fig, personal communication, 1990). Work is being done by the Forest
Service to purchase the highest ranked land.
REFERENCES:
Andreasen, M. L., and W. H. Eshbaugh. 1973. Solidago albopilosa Braun,
a little known goldenrod from Kentucky.
Castanea 38:112-132.
Braun, E. L. 1942. A new species and a new variety of Solidago from Kentucky. Rhodora 44:1-4.
Braun, E. L. 1950. Deciduous forests of eastern North America. Blakiston Company, Philadelphia, PA.
Chmielewski, J. G., J. C. Semple, L. M. Burr, and W. R. Hawthorn. 1989.
Comparison of achene characteristics within and
among diploid and tetraploid clones of Solidago flexicaulis and their
significance in germination and resource allocation
studies. Can. J. Bot. 67:1821-1832.
Fernald, M. L. 1970. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand Company. New York, NY.
Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist. 1963. Manual of vascular plants of
northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. D.
Van Nostrand Company. New York, NY.
Harker, D. F., Jr., M. E. Medley, L. R. Phillippe, R. R. Hannan, and
A. Phillippe. 1981. Rare plants of eastern Kentucky and
the Daniel Boone National Forest. Final Report. Kentucky State Nature
Preserves Commission, Frankfort, KY.
Kral, R. 1980. Management plan, Solidago albopilosa E. L. Braun, in
A. F. Robinson, editor. Endangered and threatened
species of the Southeastern United States including Puerto Rico and
the Virgin Islands. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service.
Medley, M. E. 1980. Status report on Solidago albopilosa. Unpublished
report produced under contract to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Atlanta, GA.
Schmid, B., and F. A. Bazzaz. 1990. Plasticity in plant size and architecture
in rhizome-derived vs. seed-derived Solidago and
Aster. Ecology 71:523-535.
U.S. Forest Service. 1985. Draft environmental impact statement for Daniel Boone National Forest. Winchester, KY.
________. 1990. Cliffline management policy for Daniel Boone National Forest. Memo. Winchester, KY.
U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Kentucky State Nature Preserves
Commission, and Kentucky Department of
Fish and Wildlife Resources. 1989. Cooperative inventory of endangered,
threatened, sensitive and rare species: Daniel Boone
National Forest. Stanton Ranger District. Report submitted to the U.S.
Forest Service.
For more information please contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
330 Ridgefield Court
Asheville, North Carolina 28806
Telephone: 7O4/665-1195, ext. 224