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Carolina grass of parnassus

small flower parnassia, small-flower grass-of-parnassus

Habit Herbs with horizontal creeping rhizomes. Herbs with caudices.
Stems

20–60 cm.

2–35 cm.

Leaves

basal 1–2 per node on rhizomes;

petiole 8–22 cm;

blade (of larger leaves) ovate to suborbiculate, 20–75 × 15–70 mm, longer than to ca. as long as wide, base rounded to subcordate, apex obtuse;

cauline on proximal 1/2 of stem or absent.

basal in rosettes;

petiole 0.4–2 cm;

blade (of larger leaves) ovate to oblong, 6–35 × 5–25 mm, base cuneate to subcordate, apex rounded to subacute;

cauline on proximal 1/2 to middle of stem.

Flowers

sepals reflexed in fruit, oblong to oblong-elliptic, 3.5–5 mm, margins hyaline, 0.2 mm wide, entire, apex obtuse;

petals 7–12-veined, broadly ovate, 14–20 × 9–12 mm, length 3–4 times sepals, base rounded, margins entire or undulate;

stamens 7–11 mm;

anthers 1.8–3 mm;

staminodes 3-fid almost to base, gland-tipped, 9–14 mm, longer than stamens, apical glands lanceolate, 1–1.7 mm;

ovary white.

sepals spreading in fruit, linear-lanceolate to oblong or elliptic-oblong, 3–6 mm, margins not hyaline, entire, apex obtuse;

petals 5–13-veined, oblong to elliptic, 3.5–10 × 4–6 mm, length 1.1–1.5 times sepals, base rounded to cuneate, margins entire;

stamens (2–)4–7 mm;

anthers 1–1.6 mm;

staminodes obovate, divided distally into 5–7(–9) gland-tipped filaments, (2–)3.5–5 mm, shorter than stamens, apical glands suborbicular, 0.2–0.3 mm;

ovary green.

Capsules

10–15 mm.

7–10 mm.

2n

= 36.

Parnassia caroliniana

Parnassia parviflora

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wet pine savannas, seepage slopes, streamhead ecotones, all subject to recurring fires. Wet, calcareous shores, meadows, fens, seepy scree slopes.
Elevation 10–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) 10–2900 m. (0–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; NC; SC
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from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MI; MT; ND; NV; SD; UT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NL; NS; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK
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Discussion

Parnassia caroliniana is rare throughout its range; it is listed as endangered in Florida and North Carolina.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Parnassia parviflora has been included in P. palustris by some authors. Small-flowered plants of P. palustris usually have the staminodes divided into about nine filaments distally and the anthers exceed 1.5 mm, but rarely some plants cannot be clearly assigned to one or other of these species. In Nunavut, P. parviflora is known only from Akimiski Island in James Bay.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 117. FNA vol. 12, p. 114.
Parent taxa Celastraceae > Parnassia Celastraceae > Parnassia
Sibling taxa
P. asarifolia, P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. glauca, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora
P. asarifolia, P. caroliniana, P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. glauca, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris
Synonyms P. palustris var. parviflora
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 184. (1803) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 320. (1824)
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