View photos of the medicinal plant Balsamorhiza sagittata (Balsamroot), profiled in Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States.

A passage from Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States:

The main medicinal part of the plant is the root. Semi–resinous and mildly aromatic, its central area of influence is of the lower respiratory tract. Use the tincture, the most efficacious preparation, in cases of acute to subacute bronchitis with thick and difficult to expectorate phlegm. Like others in Balsamroot’s class, the root’s non–polar constituents tend to loosen and thin stubborn mucus, making expectoration more efficient. If started at the first sign of sickness, just when a throat tickle/irritation seems to descend into the lungs, the herb often means the difference between a 3–4 day episode versus a 2–week episode. Most people also find it lessening to an irritative cough, particularly if the honey–based syrup is used.