OregonFlora: Balsamorhiza macrophylla vs. Balsamorhiza deltoidea

	Balsamorhiza macrophylla	Balsamorhiza deltoidea
	large-leaf balsamroot	deltoid balsamroot
Stems	up to 35 cm, tomentose; from single taproot.	forming clumps, 14–54 cm, green, villous-hirsute, with shorter, glandular hairs.
Leaves	lanceolate-oblong, 1-pinnately divided; pinnae toothed, with teeth only on lower margins; surfaces tomentose; basal leaves in 1–few rosettes; blades 12–22 × 6–8 cm; pinnae 10–36 mm wide; petioles 7–20 cm; cauline blades 1.5–5 × 0.3–0.9 cm; petioles 6–9 cm.	simple; margins entire to toothed; teeth rounded and apiculate; surfaces abaxially sparsely hirsute, adaxially sparsely hirsute, villous-hirsute on veins; basal leaves in multiple rosettes; blades deltate, 7.5–27 × 6–16 cm, bases cordate or hastate; petioles 10–27 cm; cauline blades 3–7.5 × 1.1–2.7 cm; petioles 0–8.5 cm.
Inflorescences	with 1 terminal head.	with 1 larger; terminal head and 0–2 smaller; axillary heads; peduncles 1–12 cm.
Involucres	14–18 × 25–30 mm.	terminal 10–15 × 20–33 mm; axillary 8–10 × 11–17 mm.
Ray florets	14–16, yellow; rays 35–40 × 8–11 mm.	deciduous, 11–21 on large heads, 6–9 on small heads, yellow; rays 18–35 × 4–17 mm.
Disc florets	~9 mm.	5–8 mm.
Phyllaries	ovate-lanceolate, 20–25 × 5–6 mm; tips acuminate, tomentose.	ovate, 10–32 × 4–9 mm, villous; more densely so at bases; outer phyllaries often lanceolate; longer than inner.
Fruits	8–9 mm, glabrous.	9 × 1.5 mm, glabrous.
Paleae	10–12 mm.	~7 mm.
2n	=100 ± 2.	=38.

	Balsamorhiza macrophylla	Balsamorhiza deltoidea
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Dry, open areas. Flowering May–Jul. 700–1400 m. BW. ID; east to WY. Native. True B. macrophylla is a decaploid centered on the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and Idaho. The plants in Oregon and western Idaho are also high polyploids, but they differ morphologically from classic B. macrophylla in their denser pubescence and the shape of their leaves. These eastern plants have been given the name B. macrophylla var. idahoensis. However, further study will likely show that they have a different parentage than B. macrophylla s.s. The specific epithet “macrophylla” means large-leaved, as the leaves are much larger than those of the other members of section Balsamorhiza.	Grasslands, pine or oak woodlands. Flowering Mar–Jul. 50–2200 m. Casc, ECas, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to British Columbia. Native. Balsamorhiza deltoidea grows west of the Cascade Range and intergrades with B. careyana in the Cascades and along the Columbia River. (See discussion under B. careyana.) It also hybridizes with B. sericea in Josephine County. Hybrids between Balsamorhiza deltoidea and B. hookeri have been given the name B. × terebinthacea but are not expected to be found in Oregon, given that the ranges of the parental species do not overlap here. The specific epithet refers to the deltoid shape of the leaves.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 200 Abigail (Abby) Moore	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 199 Abigail (Abby) Moore
Sibling taxa	B. careyana, B. deltoidea, B. deltoidea x Balsamorhiza sericea, B. hispidula, B. hookeri, B. incana, B. lanata, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. sericea, B. serrata	B. careyana, B. deltoidea x Balsamorhiza sericea, B. hispidula, B. hookeri, B. incana, B. lanata, B. macrophylla, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. sericea, B. serrata
Synonyms	Balsamorhiza hookeri var. idahoensis
Web links	Local floras: OR Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Balsamorhiza deltoidea

large-leaf balsamroot

deltoid balsamroot

Stems

up to 35 cm, tomentose; from single taproot.

forming clumps, 14–54 cm, green, villous-hirsute, with shorter, glandular hairs.

Leaves

lanceolate-oblong, 1-pinnately divided;

pinnae toothed, with teeth only on lower margins;

surfaces tomentose;

basal leaves in 1–few rosettes;

blades 12–22 × 6–8 cm;

pinnae 10–36 mm wide;

petioles 7–20 cm;

cauline blades 1.5–5 × 0.3–0.9 cm;

petioles 6–9 cm.

simple;

margins entire to toothed;

teeth rounded and apiculate;

surfaces abaxially sparsely hirsute, adaxially sparsely hirsute, villous-hirsute on veins;

basal leaves in multiple rosettes;

blades deltate, 7.5–27 × 6–16 cm, bases cordate or hastate;

petioles 10–27 cm;

cauline blades 3–7.5 × 1.1–2.7 cm;

petioles 0–8.5 cm.

Inflorescences

with 1 terminal head.

with 1 larger; terminal head and 0–2 smaller; axillary heads;

peduncles 1–12 cm.

Involucres

14–18 × 25–30 mm.

terminal 10–15 × 20–33 mm; axillary 8–10 × 11–17 mm.

Ray florets

14–16, yellow;

rays 35–40 × 8–11 mm.

deciduous, 11–21 on large heads, 6–9 on small heads, yellow;

rays 18–35 × 4–17 mm.

Disc florets

~9 mm.

5–8 mm.

Phyllaries

ovate-lanceolate, 20–25 × 5–6 mm;

tips acuminate, tomentose.

ovate, 10–32 × 4–9 mm, villous; more densely so at bases; outer phyllaries often lanceolate; longer than inner.

Fruits

8–9 mm, glabrous.

9 × 1.5 mm, glabrous.

Paleae

10–12 mm.

~7 mm.

=100 ± 2.

=38.

Balsamorhiza deltoidea

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Dry, open areas. Flowering May–Jul. 700–1400 m. BW. ID; east to WY. Native.

True B. macrophylla is a decaploid centered on the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and Idaho. The plants in Oregon and western Idaho are also high polyploids, but they differ morphologically from classic B. macrophylla in their denser pubescence and the shape of their leaves. These eastern plants have been given the name B. macrophylla var. idahoensis. However, further study will likely show that they have a different parentage than B. macrophylla s.s. The specific epithet “macrophylla” means large-leaved, as the leaves are much larger than those of the other members of section Balsamorhiza.

Grasslands, pine or oak woodlands. Flowering Mar–Jul. 50–2200 m. Casc, ECas, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to British Columbia. Native.

Balsamorhiza deltoidea grows west of the Cascade Range and intergrades with B. careyana in the Cascades and along the Columbia River. (See discussion under B. careyana.) It also hybridizes with B. sericea in Josephine County. Hybrids between Balsamorhiza deltoidea and B. hookeri have been given the name B. × terebinthacea but are not expected to be found in Oregon, given that the ranges of the parental species do not overlap here. The specific epithet refers to the deltoid shape of the leaves.