Solidago decurrens

Solidago decurrens (Asteraceae), often called East Asian goldenrod, is an erect perennial herb of eastern and southeastern Asia, ranging from Japan, Korea and Taiwan through much of China and into Vietnam and the Himalayan foothills. Stems are slender, 30-100 cm tall, ribbed and minutely pubescent above, often unbranched below the inflorescence. Leaves are alternate, narrowly ovate to elliptic, 4-9 cm long, with serrate margins and short winged-decurrent petioles that run down the stem as narrow flanges (the basis of the epithet decurrens). Upper leaves are smaller, sessile and sometimes entire. Numerous small radiate flower heads are borne in narrow leafy racemes or panicles; each head is 6-9 mm wide with 6-10 short yellow ray florets surrounding a yellow disc, subtended by imbricate green phyllaries. Achenes are cylindric and bear a tawny capillary pappus. The species occupies open hillsides, forest margins, grassy clearings and roadsides from low to mid elevations.