FNA: Balsamorhiza vs. Balsamorhiza macrophylla vs. Balsamorhiza macrolepis

Phenology

Flowering May–Jul.

Flowering Apr–Jun.

Habitat

Deep soils, rocky meadows, sagebrush scrublands, conifer forests

Open, dry or moist, grassy or rocky slopes, valleys

Elevation

1000–2400 m [3300–7900 ft]

90–1400 m [300–4600 ft]

Distribution

w North America

[BONAP county map]

ID; UT; WY

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

CA

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Species 12 (12 in the flora).

Balsamorhiza ×bonseri H. St. John refers to a hybrid derivative involving B. sagittata and B. rosea. The plants have the habit of B. sagittata and the reddish ray corollas of B. rosea. The cypselae are hairy.

Balsamorhiza ×terebinthacea (Hooker) Nuttall and B. macrophylla var. terebinthacea (Hooker) A. Nelson refer to hybrids derived from B. hookeri × B. deltoidea.

In the key and descriptions here, “leaves” refers to basal leaves and “leaf blades” refers to blades of basal leaves, unless otherwise indicated.

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

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.)

Of conservation concern.

Balsamorhiza macrolepis grows in the western foothills of central Sierra Nevada and in the eastern San Francisco Bay area (there mostly extirpated). The tall habit, exhibiting gigas characteristics, suggests that, like B. macrophylla, this taxon may be a polyploid. No hybrids with other species have been noted.

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

Key

1. Leaves (petioles mostly longer than blades): blades rounded-deltate or deltate to triangular-deltate, bases sagittate or cordate to truncate, margins usually entire, sometimes crenate to dentate (subg. Artorhiza)	→ 2
1. Leaves (petioles mostly shorter than blades): blades mostly lanceolate, lance-elliptic, lance-ovate, linear-oblong, oblong, or ovate, often 1–2-pinnatifid or -pinnately lobed, bases usually truncate to cuneate, sometimes cordate, ultimate margins usually crenate, dentate, or serrate, seldom entire (subg. Balsamorhiza)	→ 4
2. Heads usually borne singly, sometimes 2–3+; leaves ± silvery to white, faces (at least the abaxial) sericeous, tomentose, tomentulose, or velutinous	B. sagittata
2. Heads 2–3+ or borne singly; leaves green, faces glabrous or finely hispidulous to hirtellous	→ 3
3. Heads usually (2–)3+, sometimes borne singly; leaf margins usually entire, sometimes crenate (to dentate near bases), faces usually finely hispidulous to hirtellous (cypselae strigose or glabrous)	B. careyana
3. Heads usually borne singly, sometimes 2+; leaf margins usually crenate to dentate (at least near bases), sometimes entire, faces usually sparsely hirtellous to hispidulous, sometimes glabrous (usually gland-dotted, sometimes vernicose; cypselae glabrous)	B. deltoidea
4. Leaf blades sometimes pinnately lobed (ultimate margins usually crenate-serrate, dentate, or serrate)	→ 5
4. Leaf blades usually 1–2-pinnatifid	→ 6
5. Leaf blades (earliest sometimes, later seldom, pinnately lobed): margins usually dentate to serrate, faces hirsutulous to scabrous (ray corollas yellow, not becoming red or chartaceous; cypselae glabrous)	B. serrata
5. Leaf blades (rarely pinnately lobed): margins crenate-serrate, faces finely strigose to moderately scabrous (ray corollas yellow at anthesis, becoming red, drying pinkand chartaceous; cypselae strigose)	B. rosea
6. Leaves grayish, silvery, or white, faces lanate-tomentose, sericeous, tomentose, or villous	→ 7
6. Leaves bright green to gray-green, faces glabrous or hirsute, hirtellous, hispid, hispidulous, pilose, piloso-hirtellous, scabrous, sericeous, strigillose, strigose, subvelutinous, or tomentose (sometimes gland-dotted as well)	→ 9
7. Leaves: faces densely sericeous; n California, s Oregon	B. sericea
7. Leaves: faces lanate-tomentose, tomentose, or villous; n California, Oregon, Washington	→ 8
8. Leaf blades ovate to lanceolate, 10–45 × 3–7(–10) cm (1-pinnatifid, lobes ovate to lanceolate, 20–50 × 5–25 mm), margins plane; Oregon, Washington	B. incana
8. Leaf blades lanceolate to linear-oblong, 10–20 × 3–6(–8) cm (1–2-pinnatifid, primary lobes lance-linear to oblong, 5–40 × 1–10 mm, margins revo-lute); n California	B. lanata
9. Leaf blades 30–60 cm, 1-pinnatifid or nearly so; outer phyllaries usually much surpassing inner	→ 10
9. Leaf blades 6–40 cm, usually 1–2-pinnatifid; outer phyllaries seldom surpassing inner	→ 11
10. Leaves: faces strigillose to subvelutinous or tomentose (margins not cili-ate); ray laminae 20–30+ mm	B. macrolepis
10. Leaves: faces scabrous or piloso-hirtellous to pilose (at least adaxial, mar- gins ciliate); ray laminae 35–50+ mm	B. macrophylla
11. Leaf blades bright green, lance-elliptic to lanceolate, (6–)15–25(–40) × (3–)5–9+ cm (primary lobes lanceolate to oblanceolate, 10–45 × 2–15 mm),faces hispidulous to hirtellous	B. hispidula
11. Leaf blades usually gray-green, narrowly to broadly lanceolate or ovate, (8–)20–30(–40) × 2–15 cm (primary lobes oblong or lanceolate to linear, 5–100 × 0.5–15 mm), faces hirsute, sericeous, or strigose	B. hookeri