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Cascade grass-of-parnassus, San Bernardino grass of parnassus

Carolina grass of parnassus

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

15–40 cm.

20–60 cm.

Leaves

basal in rosettes;

petiole 1–12 cm;

blade (of larger leaves) ovate-orbiculate to elliptic-ovate, 15–60 × 7–50 mm, base cuneate, rounded, or weakly cordate, apex rounded;

cauline usually on middle to distal 1/2 of stem, rarely absent.

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.

Flowers

sepals reflexed in fruit, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate to ovate, 4–7 mm, margins sometimes scarious, to 0.1 mm wide, usually entire, rarely minutely denticulate distally, apex rounded;

petals 5–7-veined, oblanceolate to obovate or elliptic, 8–15 × 3.3–9.8 mm, length 2 times sepals, base cuneate, margins fimbriate proximally;

stamens 6–9 mm;

anthers 1.5–2.2 mm;

staminodes scalelike proximally, distally divided into 5–15 gland-tipped filaments, 3.5–6 mm, shorter than stamens, apical glands globose, 0.2–0.4 mm;

ovary green.

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.

Capsules

10 mm.

10–15 mm.

Parnassia cirrata

Parnassia caroliniana

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Wet pine savannas, seepage slopes, streamhead ecotones, all subject to recurring fires.
Elevation 10–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA; BC; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

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.)

Key
1. Larger petals 3.3–5.2(–7) mm wide, longer fimbriae (3.3–)3.5–6.5 mm; s California.
var. cirrata
1. Larger petals (4–)5–10 mm wide, longer fimbriae 1–3(–3.5) mm; British Columbia, n California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington.
var. intermedia
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 115. FNA vol. 12, p. 117.
Parent taxa Celastraceae > Parnassia Celastraceae > Parnassia
Sibling taxa
P. asarifolia, P. caroliniana, P. fimbriata, P. glauca, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora
P. asarifolia, P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. glauca, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora
Subordinate taxa
P. cirrata var. cirrata, P. cirrata var. intermedia
Name authority Piper: Erythea 7: 128. (1899) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 184. (1803)
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