Balsamorhiza Sp. – Balsam Root

Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower

Plant Soap Topical Use

[1] Balsamorhiza deltoidea

[2] Balsamorhiza sagittata

[3] Balsamorhiza hookeri

Local Species;

• Balsamorhiza deltoidea - Deltoid Balsam Root ^[E-flora]

Other Species in B.C.;

• Balsamorhiza sagittata - Arrowleaf Balsamroot ^[E-flora]

Balsamorhiza Spp.

Introduction: Balsamorhiza is a genus of 14 species distributed widely over western North America. ^{[Bohm FSF]}

Description: “These are low perennial herbs with thick rhizomes, and the leaves are mostly basal, large, and long petioled. The yellow flowering heads are large and showy, mostly on long peduncles. Balsamroot is often confused with Wyethia (mule-ears), which can be found in similar habitats. However, Wyethia leaves lack the fuzzy gray appearance seen on the balsamroot.” ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}

• Habitat/Range: “These plants are found in dry, often stony ground nearly throughout the West.” ^{[Kirk WEP]}

Food Use:

• Plant: “Although all the species are edible, the ones with the larger roots are to be preferred simply because of their size. These plants are particularly useful in that all of the plant may be used.” ^{[Kirk WEP]} “The flower budstalks are collected while the buds are still tightly closed, then peeled and eaten raw or cooked as a green vegetable. They have a slightly nutty taste.” ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}
• Stems & Leaves: “The young stems and leaves can also be eaten raw or boiled as greens.
  “ ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]} “As the stems and leaves grow older they remain edible but become tough and fibrous.” ^{[Kirk WEP]} They “...will require some additional boiling.” ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}
• Seeds: The seeds are excellent when roasted and may be ground into a nutritious flour. ^{[Kirk WEP]} The chaff is usually removed by winnowing. ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}
• Taproots harvested in spring. ^{[TurnerDavis]} “The woody taproot of perhaps all species is edible raw or cooked....The roots can be collected throughout the year but are very difficult to dig out. In some species, the taproot may be as large as one’s forearm.... When properly cooked, the roots turn brownish and sweet tasting.” ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}

Medicinal Use:

• Root: They can be mashed and applied to swellings and insect bites. ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}
  • Activities: The roots are said to be antimicrobial and an expectorant, disinfectant, and immuno-stimulant.” ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}
• Phytochemicals
  • Flavonoids: “Five species have been examined for their leaf exudate flavonoids; data for vacuolar flavonoids are available for only one of these. Whereas the vacuolar components appear to be very simple, kaempferol and quercetin 3-0-glycosides in B. deltoidea (Bohm and Choy, 1987), the glandular flavonoid fraction is more elaborate.... two different reports are given for B. sagittata and B. deltoidea indicating the existence of interpopulational variation in this genus. ” ^{[Bohm FSF]}
    

Balsamorhiza deltoidea - Puget Balsam Root, Deltoid Balsam Root

• Food Use:

  • Flowerstalk eaten as cooked vegetables ^[EMNMPV.7]
  • Roots: 8g water, 4.1g protein, 5.5g ash per 100g dry roots. ^{[Turner, Kuhnlein]}
• Other Use:
  • Livestock: Chicken Feed ^{[Macdougall2004]}

Balsamorhiza hookeri - Balsam Root, Hooker’s Balsamroot, Hairy Balsamroot

• Range:
  • Washington to Utah and California ^[EWP]

• Food Use:
  • Roots are eaten raw or cooked ^[EMNMPV.9] The Indians often eat the roots raw, but they are more pleasant when cooked. ^{[EWP] “}The thick roots of this species are eaten raw by
    the Nez Perce Indians and have, when cooked, a sweet and rather agreeable taste.” ^{[Sturtevant EPW]}

• Medicinal Use
  • Root: “Native Americans considered a boiled solution from the root of B. Hirsuta (= B. hookeri var. neglecta) (neglected balsamroot) to be an excellent medicine for stomachaches and bladder troubles” ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}

Balsamorhiza macrophylla

• Phytochemicals

  • 2-Deoxo-8-O-acetyl pumilin – Yellow Oil (aerial parts) ^[EncyTCMV2]
  • Methyl-9β -(epoxyangeloyloxy)-5α,6α-dihydroxy-2-oxo-3,4-dehydro-δ-guaien-12-oate – White oil (aerial parts) ^[EncyTCMV3]

Balsamorhiza sagittata - Oregon Sunflower, Arrowleaf Balsamroot

• Range:

  • Montana to Washington, south to Colorado and California. ^{[EWP] “}Balsamorhiza sagittata enjoys one of the largest ranges within the genus extending from south-central British Columbia and southwestern Alberta south through the Great Basin floristic province to the Rocky Mountains.” ^{[Bohm FSF]} “open woods, sagebrush steppe, and subalpine meadows,
    NW N America” ^[ETWP]
• Food Use:
  • Although B. sagittata is considered one of the most versatile sources of food, it is not necessarily palatable. The plants contain a bitter, strongly pine-scented sap.” ^{[Vizgirdas WPSN]}
  • Seeds: Balsam-root (Balsamorhiza sagittata) seeds made into a mush tasted like popcorn.^{[Anderson TTW]} Pounded into a meal called mielito and eaten by Indians of Puget Sound. ^{[Sturtevant EPW]}
  • Young immature flower stalks peeled and inner pith eaten ^[EMNMPV.7]
  • Roots are eaten raw or cooked, roasted or used as coffee substitute ^[EMNMPV.9] They are said to be sweet and quite agreeable in taste. ^[EWP] “A former food staple that contains the complex carbohydrate inulin.... the roots were harvested in early July after the plants had flowered and only “carrot-sized individuals” were selected”. There is “...an energy gain of approximately 65% between fresh and pit-cooked balsamroot.” ^{[Peacock,2008]}
  • Misc: “young shoots, budstalks and seeds eaten.” ^[ETWP]
  • Nutrition: “As might be expected in root crops, no measurable amount of fat was detected and only small amounts of protein and ash were found. The majority of the dry mass was due to carbohydrates, including glucose, fructose, sucrose, soluble starch, insoluble dietary fibre, and inulin.” ^{[Peacock,2008]} 3.6% Crude protein and 0.06% Phosphorus (harvested in winter). ^{[Meuninck EWPUH]} 52.5 (kcal), 4.1g Protein, and 11.7g Carbohydrates. ^{[Prentiss CHG]} The stems contained 0.3g protein, 241 mg Calcium, and 47mg Phosphorus per 100g fresh wt. The greens contain 1.6g protein, 0.3g fat, 1.9g crude fiber, 1.5g ash, and 13.8 mg of vitamin C, 173mg Calcium, and 43mg Phosphorus per 100g fresh wt. ^{[Turner, Kuhnlein]}
• Other Use:
  • "The Crow of North America used balsam root as incense during feather headpiece transfer ceremonies (Hellson 1974). The smoke was also used to disinfect sickrooms or was inhaled for general body aches (Foster and Hobbs 2002)." ^[UAPDS]

Medicinal Uses:

• Colds: Colds remedy ^{[Heaton, 2004]}An alternative to Echinacea. For immune stimulation at the early onset of colds and flu. ^{[Buhner Antibiotics]}
• Dermatological Aid: Burn dressings ^{[Heaton, 2004]}
• Misc Uses: Antidiarrheal, throat aid, venereal aid, TB, pulmonary aid, toothache remedy ^{[Heaton, 2004]}
• Dosages: “ROOT. Tincture [Fresh Root, 1:2, Dry Root, 1:5, 65% alcohol], 20-50 drops in hot.water, to 4X a day. LEAVES. Powdered, with water as poultice.” ^{[Moore(1995)]}

Pharmacology:

Phytochemicals

• 2-Deoxo-8-O-acetyl pumilin – Yellow Oil (aerial parts) ^[EncyTCMV2]
• (Cycloartane Triterpenoids)
• 16 S,22R-dihydrocycloartenol - Mp 219C° ^{[Azimova CTG]}
• 16S,22R-Dihydroxycycloartenone - Mp 198C° ^{[Azimova CTG]}
• 16S,23ξ-Dihydroxycycloartenone - Mp 196C° ^{[Azimova CTG]}
• 16 S-hydroxycycloartenol – MP 92C° ^{[Azimova CTG]}
• 16S-Hydroxycycloartenone - Mp 169C° ^{[Azimova CTG]}
• 16 S-hydroxy-22-nor-cycloartan-3, 20-dione
• 22R-hydroxycycloartenol - Mp 164C° ^{[Azimova CTG]}
• 22R-Hydroxycycloartenone - Colourless oil ^{[Azimova CTG]}

Cultivation

• Animal Habitat: Arrowleaf balsamroot provides forage for many animals, and the seed is eaten by deer mice. ^[PPNWNP]
• Aphid host plant: Macrosiphum euphorbiae ^{[Blackman AWHPS]}
• Snail Habitat:
  • "hoder’s mountainsnail [Oreohelix undescribed sp.] is... found on or near the ridgtop, in grassland and timber edge, with Eriogonum sp. and Balsamorhiza sagittata.” ^{[Burke LSSPNW]}
  • "Oreohelix tenuistriata occurs... in a canyon under Balsamorhiza leaves and shrubs growing on limestone rubble.” ^{[Burke LSSPNW]}
  • "ranne’s mountainsnail [Oreohelix undescribed sp.] is known only... on a southeasterly aspect near the ridgetop, in grassland with Eriogonum and Balsamorhiza sagittata.” ^{[Burke LSSPNW]}
  • "It is a good species to use for revegetation of oil shale- or coal-mined lands and soil stabilization projects” ^[PPNWNP]
• Seed: “Seasonal development varies due to geographical and elevational variation. Plants flower in May with seed ripening in mid-June and disseminating in late June through early August. Seed yield is generally abundant, but can be lost to late frosts, insects, and grazing animals. Viability of seed is often low due to insect damage. Harvest seed by hand or with a combine if terrain permits. Clean by drying, fanning, macerating, and fanning (Plummer et al. 1968). Seed can be stored at 20°C for up to five years. A cool, moist stratification for eight to twelve weeks at 0-4°C is required to break dormancy. Broadcast sow or drill in a firm seedbed, and cover following planting. Fall or winter sowing is recommended” ^[PPNWNP]
  • "Seeds per kilogram: ~121,790 (Plummer et al. 1968).” ^[PPNWNP]

Balsamorhiza terebinthinacea

• "The root of this plant, obtained from Idaho and Oregon, has a strong, terebinthinate odor, and is used medicinally in the Western States. It contains volatile oil, fixed oil, resin, organic acid, and sugar (Herman T. Kelly, D. C., 1897, 32).” ^{[Remington USD20]}

References

• Heaton, 2004 - An Ethnobotanical and Medical Research Literature Update on the Plant Species Collected in the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806, Darrall Heaton and Ara DerMarderosian, Bartonia, No. 62, Lewis and Clark Bicentennial: 1803-1806 — 2003-2006 (2004), pp. 63-93, Philadelphia Botanical Club, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41610108
• Macdougall2004 – Defining Conservation Strategies with Historical Perspectives: A Case Study from a Degraded Oak Grassland Ecosystem, Andrew S. Macdougall, Brenda R. Beckwith, and Carrina Y. Maslovat, Conservation Biology, Pages 455-465 Volume 18, No. 2, April 2004
• Peacock,2008 – From complex to simple: balsamroot, inulin, and the chemistry of traditional Interior Salish pit-cooking technology, Sandra L. Peacock, Botany 86: 116-128 (2008), NRC Canada
• TurnerDavis - “When everything was scarce”: The role of plants as famine foods in Northwestern North America, Nancy J. Turner and Alison Davis, J. Ethnobiol. 13(2):171-201, Winter 1993

Image References

• [1] Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
• [2] Jim Morefield from Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
• [3] Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons