Burke: Balsamorhiza serrata vs. Balsamorhiza hookeri

	Balsamorhiza serrata	Balsamorhiza hookeri
	serrrate balsamroot, toothed balsamroot	hairy balsamroot, hare's head balsamroot, Hooker's balsamroot
Habit	Perennial with an unbranched crown surmounting a carrot-like root, 1-4 dm. tall.	Perennial from a carrot-like taproot, the lax, nearly naked stems 0.6-4 dm. tall.
Leaves	Basal leaves petiolate, green, scabrous, with prominent net-like veins, the blade deltoid-ovate, 4-29 cm. long and 2-8 cm. wide, sharply serrate, but also with some pinnatifid leaves; stems often with a pair of much-reduced leaves near the base.	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.
Flowers	Heads solitary; involucres smooth to strongly woolly, the bracts narrowly lanceolate; rays 10-16, 2-4 cm. long.	Heads solitary; involucre bracts linear to ovate, long-hairy at least marginally; rays 10-16, 1.5-3.5 cm. long.
Fruits	Achenes glabrous.	Achenes glabrous.

	Balsamorhiza serrata	Balsamorhiza hookeri
Identification notes	Of all the species of Balsamorhiza found in our area, only Balsamorhiza serrata has sharply serrate leaves.	Our other species with pinnatifid leaves, Balsamorhiza incana, is silky-woolly throughout, while B. hookeri is sparcely hairy.
Flowering time	April-June	April-June
Habitat	Rock outcrops and dry, rocky knolls.	Dry, open areas at low to moderate elevations, usually in lithosol (rocky, cobbly soil).
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in south-central and southeastern Washington; Washington to California, east to Nevada. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	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]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	B. ×bonseri, B. careyana, B. careyana × B. hookeri, B. deltoidea, B. hookeri, B. hookeri × B. sagittata, B. incana, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. ×terebinthacea, B. ×tomentosa	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
Web links	Local floras: 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	Local floras: 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 serrata

Balsamorhiza hookeri

serrrate balsamroot, toothed balsamroot

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

Habit

Perennial with an unbranched crown surmounting a carrot-like root, 1-4 dm. tall.

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

Leaves

Basal leaves petiolate, green, scabrous, with prominent net-like veins, the blade deltoid-ovate, 4-29 cm. long and 2-8 cm. wide, sharply serrate, but also with some pinnatifid leaves;

stems often with a pair of much-reduced leaves near the base.

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.

Flowers

Heads solitary;

involucres smooth to strongly woolly, the bracts narrowly lanceolate;

rays 10-16, 2-4 cm. long.

Heads solitary;

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

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

Fruits

Achenes glabrous.