''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' is a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n species of flowering plant in the tribe

Heliantheae The Heliantheae (sometimes called the sunflower tribe) are the third-largest tribe in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). With some 190 genera and nearly 2500 recognized species, only the tribes Senecioneae and Astereae are larger. The name is ...

of the family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

known by the common name Arrowleaf Balsamroot. It is widespread across western

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and much of the western

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Description

This is a

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

ed perennial herb growing a hairy, glandular stem tall, with the plant's total height up to . The branching, barky root may extend over deep into the soil. The silvery-gray basal

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are generally triangular in shape and large, approaching in maximum length. Leaves farther up the stem are linear to narrowly oval in shape and smaller. The leaves have untoothed edges and are coated in fine to rough hairs, especially on the undersides. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

bears one or more

flower head A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

, sometimes more than one on the same stem, blooming from May to July. Each head has a center of long yellowish tubular disc florets and a fringe of 8–25 bright yellow ray florets, each up to long. The fruit is a hairless

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...

about long. '' B. deltoidea'' is similar but is greener, less hairy, and does not retain its ray flowers for long.

Distribution and habitat

The plant's native range extends from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

in the north, southward as far as northern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, and as far east as the

Black Hills The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk P ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

. It grows in many types of habitat from mountain forests to grassland to desert scrub. It is

drought tolerant Drought tolerance is the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tolerance, detox ...

Ecology

The species hybridizes with ''

Balsamorhiza hookeri ''Balsamorhiza hookeri'' (Hooker's balsamroot) is a North American species of perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It grows in the Great Basin and neighboring regions in the Western United States.Great Basin Wildflowers, Laird R. Blackwell, ...

''. Grazing animals find the plant palatable, especially the flowers and developing seed heads. Elk and deer browse the leaves.

Uses

Coming into season in late spring, all of the plant can be eaten—particularly the leaves (raw or cooked), roots (cooked), and the seeds, raw or pounded into flour. It can be bitter and pine-like in taste. The leaves are best collected when young and can carry a citrus flavor. Many Native American groups, including the

Nez Perce The Nez Percé (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning "we, the people") are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest region for at least 11,500 years.Ames, K ...

Kootenai The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

, and

Salish Salish () may refer to: * Salish peoples, a group of First Nations/Native Americans ** Coast Salish peoples, several First Nations/Native American groups in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest ** Interior Salish peoples, several First Nat ...

, utilized the plant as a food and medicine. The seeds were particularly valuable as food or used for oil. In 1806,

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

collected a specimen near the

White Salmon River The White Salmon River is a tributary of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Originating on the slopes of Mount Adams, it flows into the Columbia Gorge near the community of Underwood. Parts of the river have been designated Wi ...

, and both he and Frederick Pursh noted that the stem was eaten raw by the American natives.

Culture

A specimen was collected by explorer and

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

near Lewis and Clark Pass in 1806. Under the name Okanagan Sunflower, it is the official flower emblem of the city of

Kelowna Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki� ...

, Canada.

Gallery

File:Balsamorhiza sagittata flower 20070422.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' flower head File:Balsamorhiza sagittata 6.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' insect predation File:Balsamorhiza sagittata 4771.JPG, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' involucre. File:Arrowleaf Balsamroot 009.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' File:Grand Teton 1986.jpeg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' in

Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park is an American national park in northwestern Wyoming. At approximately , the park includes the major peaks of the Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Grand Teton Na ...

, Wyoming, USA File:Spring Okanagan Sunflower (Balsamorhiza sagittata) Whole Plant in East Knox Mountain Park.png, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' in East

Knox Mountain Park Knox Mountain Park is a natural park and recreation area located in Kelowna, British Columbia, north of the city's core. It is one of the most popular attractions for tourists visiting Okanagan Valley. Apex Trail is a 4.0 kilometre, lightly traff ...

, British Columbia, Canada. File:Balsamorhiza sagittata 13.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' seedling File:Balsamorhiza sagittata 8.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' leaves sprouting from mature plant in early spring File:Balsamorhiza sagittata 3.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' mature seed heads in June File:Balsamorhiza sagittata 16.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' mature seed head File:Balsamorhizasagittata1.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' seeds File:Balsamorhiza sagittata 15.jpg, ''Balsamorhiza sagittata'' dry plants in fall that are dormant File:Balsamorhiza sagittata (3625593445).jpg, Bright orange-yellow petals are a distinguishing characteristic of ''Balsamorhiza sagittata''

References

External links

*
Northern Bushcraft: Identification and edible parts of ''Balsamorhiza sagittata''
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2881541 sagittata Plants described in 1840 Plants used in Native American cuisine Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Kelowna Flora of Western Canada Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of the North-Central United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status