Flora of North America species comparison

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Balsamorhiza macrophylla

Balsamorhiza serrata

cutleaf balsamroot, Idaho balsamroot, large-leaf balsamroot

serrate balsam root, serrated balsamroot, serrrate balsamroot, tooth balsamroot
Habit Plants 30–45(–100) cm. Plants 10–20(–30) cm.
Basal leaves

green, ovate to lanceolate, 20–50+ × 8–15 cm (pinnatifid, lobes lanceolate, 20–80+ × 10–40 mm, entire or ± dentate), bases ± cuneate, ultimate margins usually entire (plane or weakly revolute, ciliate), apices obtuse to acute, faces scabrous or piloso-hirtellous to pilose (at least abaxial usually gland-dotted as well).

blades pale green to gray-green, lanceolate or lance-ovate, 5–15(–20+) × 2–5(–10) cm (earliest sometimes, later seldom, pinnately lobed, mostly toward tips), bases usually cuneate to subtruncate, sometimes cordate, margins usually dentate to serrate, apices acute, faces hirsutulous to scabrous.
Involucres

± hemispheric, 20–30 mm diam.

campanulate, 15–25 mm diam.
Ray laminae

35–50+ mm.

(20–)30–40.
Outer phyllaries

lance-ovate or lanceolate to lance-linear, 12–30(–40) mm, equaling or surpassing inner (margins ciliate), apices acute to attenuate.

lanceolate to lance-triangular, 10–22 mm, shorter than inner, apices acute to attenuate (margins ciliate).
Heads

usually borne singly.

usually borne singly.
2n

= 100 ± 2.

= 38.

Balsamorhiza macrophylla

Balsamorhiza serrata
Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Deep soils, rocky meadows, sagebrush scrublands, conifer forests Basaltic scablands, sagebrush scrub, openings in forests, meadow borders
Elevation 1000–2400 m (3300–7900 ft) (1000–)1400–1500 m ((3300–)4600–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Balsamorhiza macrophylla is a high polyploid; it occurs sympatrically with B. sagittata. It evidently arose from hybridization between B. sagittata and B. hispidula. Balsamorhiza macrophylla has the multi-branched caudices and massive taproots of the former, and the leaf dissection of the latter. No hybrids with other species are known. Presumably, the high-polyploid chromosome complement precludes interbreeding. Plants of var. idahoensis are smaller, are known only from southwestern Idaho and northeastern Utah, and differ from var. macrophylla by being pilose, with strongly shaggy-pilose involucres. More study may determine that var. idahoensis merits specific rank. The Utah populations are not well understood and deserve attention.

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

Balsamorhiza serrata hybridizes with B. careyana. Leaves of the hybrids tend to be prostrate rather than erect. Most of the hybrids display the larger size of B. careyana and lack the pubescence of the heads; serrata-like plants never develop more than a single head nor do they have the pubescence of the cypselae.

(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. hispidula, B. hookeri, B. incana, B. lanata, B. macrolepis, 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. rosea, B. sagittata, B. sericea
Synonyms B. hookeri var. idahoensis, B. macrophylla var. idahoensis
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 350. (1840) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride: Bot. Gaz. 56: 479. (1913)
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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