GOLDEN ROD, the popular name for plants of the botanical genus Solidago, of the family Compositae, comprising about 125 species, natives chiefly of North America, a few, however, occur ring in the Old World and in South America. They are erect perennial herbs, mostly from 2 to 8 ft. high, usually unbranched or slightly branched, with undivided toothed or entire leaves and very numerous small heads of brilliant yellow (rarely white) flowers arranged in conspicuous terminal or axillary clusters. The European golden rod (S. Virgaurea), the only British species, with a stem, usually I to 3 ft. high, bearing a long cluster of showy flower heads, is found in woods and thickets. It is one of the best garden plants of the genus, several other species of which are sparingly cultivated for ornament. The golden rods are characteristic plants in eastern North America, where about 6o species occur, many of which are widely distributed and of great abundance. They are found almost everywhere,—in woodlands, swamps, on mountains, in fields and along roadsides. With the asters, whose bright colours they complement, the golden rods form one of the chief floral glories of autumn from the Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic. While numerous handsome species occur in the Rocky Mountain region and on the Pacific coast they are less abundant and conspicuous than in the eastern States. Among the best-known eastern species are the early golden rod (S. juncea), the late golden rod (S. serotina), the tall golden rod (S. altissima), the Canada golden rod (S. canadensis), the dwarf golden rod (S. nernoralis), the wreath golden rod (S. caesia), the pale golden rod or white rod (S. bicolor), the sweet golden rod (S. odorata) and the showy golden rod (S. speciosa). Among the western species are the western golden rod (S. occidentalis), found from the Rocky mountains westward; the California golden rod (S. Cali f ornica) , the oreja de liebre of the Spanish Californians ; and the coast golden rod (S. spathulata), of central Californian shores. (See ASTER.)