Flora of North America species comparison

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Balsamorhiza careyana

Balsamorhiza incana

Carey's balsamroot

hoary balsamroot, woolly balsamroot
Habit Plants (15–)20–60 cm. Plants 20–35(–70) cm.
Basal leaves

blades green, rounded-deltate or deltate to triangular-deltate, 15–25 × 6–15 cm, bases cordate or hastate to truncate, margins usually entire, sometimes crenate (to dentate near bases), apices acute to attenuate, faces finely hispidulous to hirtellous (gland-dotted as well).

blades white to grayish, lance-ovate to oblong, 10–45 × 3–7(–10) cm (1-pinnatifid, lobes ovate to lanceolate, 20–50 × 5–25 mm), bases broadly cuneate to truncate, margins entire or serrate (plane, not distinctly ciliate), apices obtuse, faces usually densely, sometimes sparsely, tomentose.
Involucres

hemispheric to turbinate or campanulate, 12–20 mm diam.

hemispheric, 20–25(–30) mm.
Ray laminae

20–30(–40) mm (cypselae strigose or glabrous).

20–40(–50+) mm.
Outer phyllaries

oblong to lanceolate or linear, 15–25 mm, usually surpassing inner, apices acute to attenuate.

ovate to lanceolate or linear, 15–20 mm, shorter than inner, apices acute to attenuate (margins ± ciliate).
Heads

usually (2–)3+, sometimes borne singly.

usually borne singly.
2n

= 38.

= 38.

Balsamorhiza careyana

Balsamorhiza incana
Phenology Flowering (Mar–)May–Jun(–Jul). Flowering May–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Dry scablands, semi-desert soils, openings in pine forests Grassy meadows, dry, rocky sites, openings in conifer forests
Elevation 500–1000 m (1600–3300 ft) 1200–2800 m (3900–9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hybrids involving Balsamorhiza careyana and B. deltoidea occur near the Columbia River Gorge; intermediates are found to the east and south. In northern Oregon, plants in some populations have glabrous cypselae and some populations are mixed. The hairiness may come from B. rosea; B. rosea and B. careyana may hybridize profusely, producing mostly plants with the stature of B. careyana and with the relatively short, brick-red ray corollas of B. rosea. Hybridization also occurs, occasionally, between B. careyana and B. sagittata; B. careyana also hybridizes with any species of sect. Balsamorhiza with which it comes in contact. Plants called Balsamorhiza careyana var. intermedia usually have crenate leaf margins and glabrous cypselae.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Balsamorhiza incana hybridizes with B. sagittata.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 95. FNA vol. 21, p. 96.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Balsamorhiza > subg. Artorhiza Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Balsamorhiza > subg. Balsamorhiza
Sibling taxa
B. deltoidea, B. hispidula, B. hookeri, B. incana, B. lanata, B. macrolepis, B. macrophylla, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. sericea, B. serrata
B. careyana, B. deltoidea, B. hispidula, B. hookeri, B. lanata, B. macrolepis, B. macrophylla, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. sericea, B. serrata
Synonyms B. careyana var. intermedia
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 81. (1849) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 350. (1840)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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