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Balsamorhiza rosea

rosy balsamroot

Habit Plants 6–10(–30) cm.
Taproots

relatively slender, bark relatively thin, not corrugated;

rhizomes sometimes present (relatively short, deep-seated);

caudices seldom branched.

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).

blades mostly lanceolate, lance-elliptic, lance-ovate, linear-oblong, oblong, or ovate, often 1–2-pinnatifid or -pinnately lobed, sometimes cordate, ultimate margins usually crenate, dentate, or serrate, seldom entire.

Cauline leaves

mostly proximal to mid stems.

Petioles

mostly shorter than leaf blades.

Involucres

hemispheric, 18–20 mm diam.

Ray corollas

mostly yellow (becoming brick red and chartaceous in B. rosea).

Ray laminae

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

Outer phyllaries

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

Heads

usually borne singly.

2n

= 38.

Balsamorhiza rosea

Balsamorhiza subg. Balsamorhiza

Phenology Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Dry hills
Elevation 300–400 m (1000–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
w North America
Discussion

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.)

Species 9 (9 in the flora).

Members of subg. Balsamorhiza usually inhabit shallow, rocky soils.

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 96. FNA vol. 21, p. 96.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Balsamorhiza > subg. Balsamorhiza Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Balsamorhiza
Sibling taxa
B. careyana, B. deltoidea, B. hispidula, B. hookeri, B. incana, B. lanata, B. macrolepis, B. macrophylla, B. sagittata, B. sericea, B. serrata
Subordinate taxa
Synonyms B. hookeri var. rosea
Name authority A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride: Bot. Gaz. 56: 478. (1913) unknown
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