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

fen grass-of-parnassus

Habit Herbs with caudices. Herbs with caudices.
Stems

15–40 cm.

10–60 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 in rosettes;

petiole 1.5–17 cm;

blade (of larger leaves) oblong to orbiculate-ovate, 20–70 × 10–50 mm, longer than to ca. as long as wide, base cuneate to subcordate, apex obtuse to subacute;

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, elliptic, or ovate, 2.5–5 mm, margins hyaline, 0.2–0.5 mm wide, entire, apex rounded;

petals 5–12-veined, oblong to ovate, 9–18 × 6–10 mm, length 2–4 times sepals, base cuneate to rounded, margins entire or undulate;

stamens 7–10 mm;

anthers 1.2–2.8 mm;

staminodes 3-fid almost to base, gland-tipped, 4–7 mm, shorter than to ca. equaling stamens, apical glands elliptic-oblong to subreniform, 0.3–0.7 mm;

ovary green.

Capsules

10 mm.

12–14 mm.

2n

= 32.

Parnassia cirrata

Parnassia glauca

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Seasonally wet meadows, shores, fens, ditches, seeps, wet, calcareous soils.
Elevation 50–700 m. (200–2300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA; BC; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IA; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; VT; WI; MB; NB; NF; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

The name Parnassia caroliniana has been misapplied to this species (for example, N. L. Britton and A. Brown 1913).

(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. 116.
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. caroliniana, P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, 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) Rafinesque: Autik. Bot., 42. (1840)
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