Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Balsamorhiza hookeri
hairy balsamroot, hare's head balsamroot, Hooker's balsamroot
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington; Washington to California, east to western Montana, southern Idaho, and Nevada.

Habitat: Dry, open areas at low to moderate elevations, usually in lithosol (rocky, cobbly soil).

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps

Description:
General:

Perennial from a carrot-like taproot, the lax, nearly naked stems 0.6-4 dm. tall.

Leaves:

Basal leaves 1-4 dm. long, pinnatifid, the divisions entire to deeply toothed; stem leaves often with one or more inconspicuous, linear or pinnatifid bracts near the base.

Flowers:

Heads solitary; involucre bracts linear to ovate, long-hairy at least marginally; rays 10-16, 1.5-3.5 cm. long.

Fruits:

Achenes glabrous.

Identification Notes:

Our other species with pinnatifid leaves, Balsamorhiza incana, is silky-woolly throughout, while B. hookeri is sparcely hairy.

Accepted Name:
Balsamorhiza hookeri Nutt.
Publication: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 349. 1840.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Balsamorhiza hirsuta Nutt. [HC]
Balsamorhiza hirsuta Nutt. var. lagocephala W.M. Sharp
Balsamorhiza hookeri Nutt. var. hirsuta (Nutt.) A. Nelson
Balsamorhiza hookeri Nutt. var. hookeri [HC]
Balsamorhiza hookeri Nutt. var. lagocephala (W.M. Sharp) Cronquist [HC]
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Balsamorhiza hookeri in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Balsamorhiza hookeri checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Balsamorhiza hookeri information.

E-Flora BC: Balsamorhiza hookeri atlas page.

CalPhotos: Balsamorhiza hookeri photos.

USDA Plants: Balsamorhiza hookeri information.

93 photographs:
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