Flora of North America species comparison

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Balsamorhiza careyana

Balsamorhiza subg. Artorhiza

Carey's balsamroot
Habit Plants (15–)20–60 cm.
Taproots

relatively massive;

bark relatively thick, corrugated;

rhizomes none;

caudices usually multi-branched.
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 mostly rounded-deltate or deltate to triangular-deltate, bases sagittate or cordate to truncate, margins usually entire, sometimes crenate.
Cauline leaves

usually at mid stems.
Petioles

mostly longer than leaf blades.
Involucres

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

Ray corollas

yellow.
Ray laminae

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

Outer phyllaries

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

Heads

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

2n

= 38.

Balsamorhiza careyana

Balsamorhiza subg. Artorhiza
Phenology Flowering (Mar–)May–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Dry scablands, semi-desert soils, openings in pine forests
Elevation 500–1000 m (1600–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
w North America
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.)

Species 3 (3 in the flora).

Members of subg. Artorhiza inhabit relatively deep, well-developed soils, flower only after at least 4–5 years, and attain ages of possibly 50 years.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 95. FNA vol. 21, p. 94.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Balsamorhiza > subg. Artorhiza Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > 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
Subordinate taxa
Synonyms B. careyana var. intermedia B. unranked Artorhiza, B. section Artorhiza
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 81. (1849) (Nuttall) W. M. Sharp: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 22: 115. (1935)
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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