Stiff goldenrod

Description
This plant has big basal leaves and large, showy flowerheads.

Classification
Kingdom - Plantae
Division - Magnoliophyta
Class - Magnoliopsida
Order - Asterales
Family - Asteraceae (aster family)
Genus species - Solidago rigida L.

Stem:                    
Erect, stout, clustered, usually unbranched, leafy, rough-hairy.
To 1 m tall

Leaves:                
Leaves are rough, gray-green hairy on both sides
Leaves have a very stiff, leathery texture.
Largest leaves towards the bottom, on long stalks
Upper leaves are mostly stalkless
Leaf margins mostly entire
Leaf tips pointed

Inflorescence:    
Clusters of heads, flat-topped to rounded, densely flowered, at ends of stems.

Flower:                
Flower heads about 3/8 inch wide
Bracts are firm, rounded
Ray flowers - 8 to 10 per flowerhead, yellow
Disk flowers - 20 to 30 per flowerhead, yellow.