Solidago odora

Solidago odora
Photo was taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae ⁄ Compositae
Genus:	Solidago
Species:	S. odora
Binomial name
Solidago odora Aiton
Natural range of Solidago odora from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: anisescented goldenrod

Ecology

Habitat

It can be found on a forest edge or roadside (Boerner 1981). It is adapted to disturbance, including periodic burning (Boerner 1981). It can live in well-drained, acidic, sandy soils (Drewa et al 2006; Harrod et al 2000; Menges and Root 2004). It tolerates xeric conditions (Harrod et al 2000). It can be found in longleaf pine savannas (Drewa et al 2006). S. odora var. chapmanii is mostly found in sandhill and scrub communities (Menges and Root 2004). Found within the Coastal Plain (in Mississippi, for this study) where longleaf pine orginially occupied the area (Wahlenberg et al 1939). Found in flatwoods that are mesic, fire-maintained savannas or sparse woodlands with nutrient-poor soils, dominated by longleaf pine (Brewer et al 2003).

Phenology

S. odora var. chapmanii often blooms in late summer and fall (July through October), though some bloom in spring (Menges and Root 2004).

Seed dispersal

It is a wind-dispersed species (Boerner 1981).

Seed bank and germination

S. odora var. chapmanii does not seem to form a large persistent seed bank (Menges and Root 2004). However, S. odora had a 12% germination rate in an experiment by Coffey and Kirkman in the second year after burial, showing that the seed bank can persist at least two years (2006). - Between fires, S. odora var. chapmanii can persist as suppressed ramets (a persistent bud bank), which gives can give it an advantage over competitors (Menges and Root 2004).

Fire ecology

It thrives in the years post-fire (Harrod et al 2000). Lewis and Harshbarger found out that S. odora responded positively to a wide variety of long-term burning treatments, but best to periodic summer and biennial summer burnings. S. odora was not present in the unburned control plot (1976). After fire, S. odora var. chapmanii can regenerate by seedlings, clonal ramets, or resprouting. It is thought that timing of fires may affect subsequent flowering. Flowering occurred abundantly in most plots during the year following fire, but experienced a marked decline afterwards (Menges and Root 2004).

Pollination

The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Solidago odora at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):

Apidae: Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, Nomada fervida, Xylocopa virginica krombeini

Colletidae: Colletes mandibularis

Halictidae: Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis metallica, A. sumptuosa, Halictus poeyi, Lasioglossum coreopsis, L. nymphalis, L. placidensis, Sphecodes heraclei

Leucospidae: Leucospis slossonae, L. affinis, L. robertsoni, L. slossonae

Megachilidae: Anthidiellum perplexus, Coelioxys sayi, Dianthidium floridiense, Dolichostelis louisiae, Megachile albitarsis, M. mendica, M. texana

Pompilidae: Anoplius atrox, Paracyphonyx funereus

Sphecidae: Ammophila urnaria, Bembix sayi, Bicyrtes capnoptera, B. quadrifasciata, Cerceris blakei, C. flavofasciata floridensis, C. fumipennis, Ectemnius decemmaculatus tequesta, Isodontia auripes, I. exornata, Oxybelus decorosum, Palmodes dimidiatus, Philanthus ventilabris, Prionyx thomae, Stictiella serrata, Tachytes grisselli, T. guatemalensis, T. pepticus, T. validus

Vespidae: Eumenes fraternus, E. smithii, Euodynerus boscii boharti, E. megaera, Pachodinerus erynnis, Pachodynerus erynnis, Parancistrocerus salcularis rufulus, Pseudodynerus quadrisectus, Stenodynerus fundatiformis, S. histrionalis rufustus, S. lineatifrons, S. oculeus, S. pulvinatus surrufus, Zethus spinipes

Use by animals

Many herbivores, including certain species of beetles, moths, rodents, and rabbits, feed on S. odora var. chapmanii (Menges and Root 2004). Deyrup (2002) observed these bees, Colletes mandibularis, Perdita graenicheri, Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis metallica, A. sumptuosa, Diialictus coreopsis, D. nymphalis, D. placidensis, Halictus ligatus, Sphecodes heraclei, Dianthidium floridiense, Megachile albitarsis, M. mendica, M. texana, Apis mellifera, on Solidago odora var. chapmanii.

References and notes

Boerner, R. E. J. (1981). "Forest structure dynamics following wildfire and prescribed burning in the New Jersey pine barrens." American Midland Naturalist 105: 321-333.

Brewer, J. S. and S. P. Cralle (2003). "Phosphorus addition reduces invasion of a longleaf pine savanna (southeastern USA) by a non-indigenous grass (Imperata cylindrica)." Plant Ecology 167: 237-245.

Coffey, K. L. and L. K. Kirkman (2006). "Seed germination strategies of species with restoration potential in a fire-maintained pine savanna." Natural Areas Journal 26: 289-299.

Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.

Deyrup, M. and L. Deyrup (2012). "The diversity of insects visiting flowers of saw palmetto (Arecaceae)." Florida Entomologist 95(3): 711-730.

Drewa, P. B., J. M. Thaxton, et al. (2006). "Responses of root-crown bearing shrubs to differences in fire regimes in Pinus palustris (Longleaf pine) savannas: exploring old-growth questions in second-growth systems." Applied Vegetation Science 9: 27-36.

Harrod, J. C., M. E. Harmon, et al. (2000). "Post-fire succession and 20th century reduction in fire frequency on xeric southern Appalachian sites." Journal of Vegetation Science 11: 465-472.

Lewis, C. E. and T. J. Harshbarger (1976). "Shrub and herbaceous vegetation after 20 years of prescribed burning in the South Carolina coastal plain." Journal of Range Management 29: 13-18.

Menges, E. S. and R. B. Root (2004). "The life of a fire-adapted Florida goldenrod, Solidago odora var. chapmanii." American Midland Naturalist 151: 65-78.

Wahlenberg, W. G., S. W. Greene, et al. (1939). Effects of fire and cattle grazing on longleaf pine lands as studied at McNeil Mississippi. Washington D.C., USDA.