Burke: Parnassia caroliniana vs. Parnassia palustris

	Parnassia caroliniana	Parnassia palustris
		Grass-of-Parnassus, northern grass-of-parnassus
Habit		Glabrous, scapose perennial herb from a short rhizome, the flowering stems 10-25 cm. tall, with a lanceolate to broadly ovate bract up to 3 cm. long and 2.5 mm. broad about mid-length on the scape.
Leaves		Leaves basal, the petioles 1.5-4 times as long as the blades; leaf blades deltoid-ovate to elliptic-ovate, 10-20 mm. long, abruptly tapered, usually truncate.
Flowers		Flowers single and terminal on long, erect peduncles; calyx attached to the ovary for 2-3 mm., the 5 lobes lanceolate, entire, 5-8 mm. long, 5-9 veined; petals 5, white, ovate to elliptic-ovate, 7-12 mm. long, not clawed; scale-like projection at base of petal flared into a broadened upper portion divided into 7-11 slender segments; filaments broad, longer or shorter than the 2-3 mm. long anthers.
Fruits		Capsule ovoid, 10-12 mm. long.

	Parnassia caroliniana	Parnassia palustris
Flowering time		July-August
Habitat		Arctic tundra to moist, shaded areas in the mountains, where usually along streams or around springs.
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Casades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin		Native
Conservation status		Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)
Sibling taxa	P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora	P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. kotzebuei, P. parviflora
Web links	Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Parnassia caroliniana

Parnassia palustris

Grass-of-Parnassus, northern grass-of-parnassus

Habit

Glabrous, scapose perennial herb from a short rhizome, the flowering stems 10-25 cm. tall, with a lanceolate to broadly ovate bract up to 3 cm. long and 2.5 mm. broad about mid-length on the scape.

Leaves

Leaves basal, the petioles 1.5-4 times as long as the blades;

leaf blades deltoid-ovate to elliptic-ovate, 10-20 mm. long, abruptly tapered, usually truncate.

Flowers

Flowers single and terminal on long, erect peduncles;

calyx attached to the ovary for 2-3 mm., the 5 lobes lanceolate, entire, 5-8 mm. long, 5-9 veined;

petals 5, white, ovate to elliptic-ovate, 7-12 mm. long, not clawed; scale-like projection at base of petal flared into a broadened upper portion divided into 7-11 slender segments;

filaments broad, longer or shorter than the 2-3 mm. long anthers.

Fruits

Capsule ovoid, 10-12 mm. long.

Parnassia caroliniana

Parnassia palustris

Flowering time

July-August

Habitat

Arctic tundra to moist, shaded areas in the mountains, where usually along streams or around springs.

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Occurring on both sides of the Casades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Origin

Native

Conservation status

Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)

Sibling taxa

P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora

P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. kotzebuei, P. parviflora

Web links