The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

hairy balsamroot, hispid balsamroot

Balsamorhiza rosea

rosy balsamroot

Habit Plants 6–40 cm. Plants 6–10(–30) cm.
Leaves

blades bright green, narrowly lance-elliptic to lanceolate, (6–)15–25(–40) × (3–)5–9+ cm (1–2-pinnatifid, primary lobes lanceolate to oblanceolate, 10–45 × 2–15 mm, secondary lobes usually divergent, antrorse), bases ± cuneate, ultimate margins usually entire (± revolute and/or thickened, often ciliate), apices acute to attenuate, faces ± hispidulous to hirtellous (gland-dotted as well; veins ± scabrous).

Basal leaves

blades gray-green, oblong to lance-ovate, 3–10(–20) × 2–5 cm (rarely pinnately lobed), bases weakly cordate or truncate, margins crenate to serrate, apices rounded to acute, faces finely strigose to moderately scabrous (usually gland-dotted as well).

Involucres

campanulate to hemispheric 10–25 mm diam.

hemispheric, 18–20 mm diam.

Ray laminae

15–40 mm (abaxially glabrous).

(becoming brick-red, often drying to pink or rose, and chartaceous) (8–)15(–25) mm (hispidulous abaxially; cypselae strigose).

Outer phyllaries

lanceolate to linear, 12–20 mm, not surpassing inner, apices acute to attenuate (margins often ciliate).

deltate or ovate to lanceolate, 8–12 mm, not surpassing inner.

Heads

borne singly.

usually borne singly.

2n

= 38.

Balsamorhiza hispidula

Balsamorhiza rosea

Phenology Flowering Apr–May. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Basalt scablands and desert-steppe areas, juniper and sagebrush scrublands Dry hills
Elevation 1800–2500 m (5900–8200 ft) 300–400 m (1000–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Distribution of Balsamorhiza hispidula is highly disrupted in the southern part of its range.

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

In a hybrid swarm involving Balsamorhiza rosea and B. careyana, B. rosea remains relatively uncontaminated; the dominance among the hybrids appears to lie with B. careyana. A record of a hybrid between B. rosea and B. careyana from the Spokane area is doubtful.

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 98. FNA vol. 21, p. 96.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Balsamorhiza > subg. Balsamorhiza Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Balsamorhiza > subg. Balsamorhiza
Sibling taxa
B. careyana, B. deltoidea, 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. incana, B. lanata, B. macrolepis, B. macrophylla, B. sagittata, B. sericea, B. serrata
Synonyms B. hookeri var. hispidula B. hookeri var. rosea
Name authority W. M. Sharp: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 22: 137, fig. 3, plate 5. (1935) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride: Bot. Gaz. 56: 478. (1913)
Web links