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

rosy balsamroot

hoary balsamroot, woolly balsamroot

Habit Plants 6–10(–30) cm. Plants 20–35(–70) cm.
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 white to grayish, lance-ovate to oblong, 10–45 × 3–7(–10) cm (1-pinnatifid, lobes ovate to lanceolate, 20–50 × 5–25 mm), bases broadly cuneate to truncate, margins entire or serrate (plane, not distinctly ciliate), apices obtuse, faces usually densely, sometimes sparsely, tomentose.

Involucres

hemispheric, 18–20 mm diam.

hemispheric, 20–25(–30) mm.

Ray laminae

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

20–40(–50+) mm.

Outer phyllaries

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

ovate to lanceolate or linear, 15–20 mm, shorter than inner, apices acute to attenuate (margins ± ciliate).

Heads

usually borne singly.

usually borne singly.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Balsamorhiza rosea

Balsamorhiza incana

Phenology Flowering Apr–May. Flowering May–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Dry hills Grassy meadows, dry, rocky sites, openings in conifer forests
Elevation 300–400 m (1000–1300 ft) 1200–2800 m (3900–9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Balsamorhiza incana hybridizes with B. sagittata.

(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 > subg. 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
B. careyana, B. deltoidea, B. hispidula, B. hookeri, B. lanata, B. macrolepis, B. macrophylla, B. rosea, B. sagittata, B. sericea, B. serrata
Synonyms B. hookeri var. rosea
Name authority A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride: Bot. Gaz. 56: 478. (1913) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 350. (1840)
Web links