| Balsamorhiza sericea | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Tribe: | Heliantheae |
| Genus: | Balsamorhiza |
| Species: | B. sericea |
| Binomial name | |
| Balsamorhiza sericea W.A.Weber |
|
Balsamorhiza sericea is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower tribe of the plant family Asteraceae known by the common name silky balsamroot. It is native to the Klamath Mountains of northern California and southern Oregon, where it grows in rocky areas, sometimes on serpentine soils.
Balsamorhiza sericea is a taprooted perennial herb growing erect 20 to 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are mostly located at the base of the plant. They are vaguely fernlike, with each leaf being composed of many pairs of oppositely-arranged lobes. Each lobe is oval in shape and coated in silvery hairs.
The inflorescence bears a single flower head with a center of yellow disc florets and a fringe of yellow ray florets each 2 or 3 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene just over half a centimeter long.