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Balsamorhiza hookeri

hairy balsamroot, hare's head balsamroot, Hooker's balsamroot

deltoid balsamroot, Puget balsamroot

Habit Perennial from a carrot-like taproot, the lax, nearly naked stems 0.6-4 dm. tall. Perennial herb from a large taproot.
Leaves

Basal leaves 1-4 dm. long, pinnatifid, the divisions entire to deeply toothed;

stem leaves often with one or more inconspicuous, linear or pinnatifid bracts near the base.

All basal; large with triangular or cordate base, sparsely hairy.

Flowers

Heads solitary;

involucre bracts linear to ovate, long-hairy at least marginally;

rays 10-16, 1.5-3.5 cm. long.

Large, yellow sunflower-like heads with slightly hairy involucres.

Fruits

Achenes glabrous.

Achene glabrous.

Balsamorhiza hookeri

Balsamorhiza deltoidea

Identification notes Our other species with pinnatifid leaves, Balsamorhiza incana, is silky-woolly throughout, while B. hookeri is sparcely hairy. Similar to B. sagitatta, but differs in being less densely pubescent, with the herbage and involucre green rather than grayish.
Flowering time April-June March-July
Habitat Dry, open areas at low to moderate elevations, usually in lithosol (rocky, cobbly soil). Prairies, open slopes, and forest edge at low elevations.
Distribution
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington; Washington to California, east to western Montana, southern Idaho, and Nevada.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Review Group 2 in Washington (WANHP)
Sibling taxa
B. ×bonseri, B. careyana, B. careyana × B. hookeri, B. deltoidea, B. hookeri × B. sagittata, B. incana, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. serrata, B. ×terebinthacea, B. ×tomentosa
B. ×bonseri, B. careyana, B. careyana × B. hookeri, B. hookeri, B. hookeri × B. sagittata, B. incana, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. serrata, B. ×terebinthacea, B. ×tomentosa
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