Burke: Balsamorhiza careyana

	Balsamorhiza careyana
	Carey's balsamroot
Habit	Perennial from a woody, deep-seated taproot, with the numerous basal leaves and stems 2-10 dm. long forming a bushy plant.
Leaves	Basal leaves with long petioles, the blade mostly triangular-hastate, up to 30 cm. long and 15 cm. wide, green, firm, veiny, entire and often scabrous; stem leaves few, narrow and strongly reduced.
Flowers	Heads several, small, the disk rarely more than 2.5 cm. wide; involucre only slightly woolly, the outer bracts seldom much enlarged; rays 8 or 13, 2-4 cm. long, persistent on the achenes.
Fruits	Achenes hairy

	Balsamorhiza careyana
Identification notes	The several small heads help separate B. careyana from B. sagitatta; also, the leaves on B. careyana feel like sandpaper, while the leaves on B. sagitata are soft and silky. However, the two species hybridize, and numerous intermediate forms are found.
Flowering time	March-July
Habitat	Open places, but not on lithosol, in the plains, foothills, and lower mountains.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to central Oregon. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	B. ×bonseri, B. careyana × B. hookeri, B. deltoidea, B. hookeri, B. hookeri × B. sagittata, B. incana, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. serrata, B. ×terebinthacea, B. ×tomentosa
Web links	Local floras: OR, WA Local Web sites: 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 careyana

Carey's balsamroot

Habit

Perennial from a woody, deep-seated taproot, with the numerous basal leaves and stems 2-10 dm. long forming a bushy plant.

Leaves

Basal leaves with long petioles, the blade mostly triangular-hastate, up to 30 cm. long and 15 cm. wide, green, firm, veiny, entire and often scabrous;

stem leaves few, narrow and strongly reduced.

Flowers

Heads several, small, the disk rarely more than 2.5 cm. wide;

involucre only slightly woolly, the outer bracts seldom much enlarged;

rays 8 or 13, 2-4 cm. long, persistent on the achenes.

Fruits

Achenes hairy

The several small heads help separate B. careyana from B. sagitatta; also, the leaves on B. careyana feel like sandpaper, while the leaves on B. sagitata are soft and silky. However, the two species hybridize, and numerous intermediate forms are found.

Flowering time

March-July

Habitat

Open places, but not on lithosol, in the plains, foothills, and lower mountains.

Distribution