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.

Description

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

Mark Deyrup at Archbold Biological Station observed these Hymenoptera species on Solidago odora

Apidae: Apis mellifera

Apidae: Bombus impatiens

Apidae: Nomada fervida

Apidae: Xylocopa virginica krombeini

Colletidae: Colletes mandibularis

Halictidae: Agapostemon splendens

Halictidae: Augochlorella aurata

Halictidae: Augochloropsis metallica

Halictidae: Augochloropsis sumptuosa

Halictidae: Halictus poeyi

Halictidae: Lasioglossum coreopsis

Halictidae: Lasioglossum nymphalis

Halictidae: Lasioglossum placidensis

Halictidae: Sphecodes heraclei

Leucospidae: Leucospis slossonae

Leucospididae: Leucospis affinis

Leucospididae: Leucospis robertsoni

Leucospididae: Leucospis slossonae

Megachilidae: Anthidiellum perplexus

Megachilidae: Coelioxys sayi

Megachilidae: Dianthidium floridiense

Megachilidae: Dolichostelis louisiae

Megachilidae: Megachile albitarsis

Megachilidae: Megachile mendica

Megachilidae: Megachile texana

Pompilidae: Anoplius atrox

Pompilidae: Paracyphonyx funereus

Sphecidae: Ammophila urnaria

Sphecidae: Bembix sayi

Sphecidae: Bicyrtes capnoptera

Sphecidae: Bicyrtes quadrifasciata

Sphecidae: Cerceris blakei

Sphecidae: Cerceris flavofasciata floridensis

Sphecidae: Cerceris fumipennis

Sphecidae: Ectemnius decemmaculatus tequesta

Sphecidae: Isodontia auripes

Sphecidae: Isodontia exornata

Sphecidae: Oxybelus decorosum

Sphecidae: Palmodes dimidiatus

Sphecidae: Philanthus ventilabris

Sphecidae: Prionyx thomae

Sphecidae: Stictiella serrata

Sphecidae: Tachytes grisselli

Sphecidae: Tachytes guatemalensis

Sphecidae: Tachytes pepticus

Sphecidae: Tachytes validus

Vespidae: Eumenes fraternus

Vespidae: Eumenes smithii

Vespidae: Euodynerus boscii boharti

Vespidae: Euodynerus megaera

Vespidae: Pachodinerus erynnis

Vespidae: Pachodynerus erynnis

Vespidae: Parancistrocerus salcularis rufulus

Vespidae: Pseudodynerus quadrisectus

Vespidae: Stenodynerus fundatiformis

Vespidae: Stenodynerus histrionalis rufustus

Vespidae: Stenodynerus lineatifrons

Vespidae: Stenodynerus oculeus

Vespidae: Stenodynerus pulvinatus surrufus

Vespidae: 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.