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fringe grass-of-parnassus, Rocky Mountain parnassia

bog star, grass-of-parnassus, parnassie

Habit Herbs with caudices. Herbs, perennial with caudices or rarely rhizomes.
Stems

10–35 cm.

erect, unbranched scapelike.

Leaves

basal in rosettes;

petiole 2–16 cm;

blade (of larger leaves) orbicular-reniform to reniform, 10–50 × 15–60 mm, base cordate, apex rounded;

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

basal in rosettes or 1–2 per node on rhizomes (P. caroliniana) and cauline (0–)1[–8], alternate;

stipules absent;

petiole present in basal leaves, usually absent in cauline leaf;

blade margins entire;

venation palmate.

Inflorescences

terminal, flowers solitary.

Flowers

sepals reflexed in fruit, oblong-elliptic to ovate, 4–6 mm, margins hyaline, 0.2–0.5 mm wide, denticulate, erose, or short-fimbriate distally, apex rounded;

petals 5–7-veined, oblanceolate to obovate, 8–14 × 4–8 mm, length 2 times sepals, base cuneate, margins fimbriate proximally;

stamens 6–9 mm;

anthers 1.5–2.5 mm;

staminodes oblong-obovate, irregularly divided into 5–10+ oblong, obtuse lobes, usually glandular at apex but tip not differentiated into distinct gland, 3–5 mm, shorter than stamens;

ovary green.

bisexual, radially symmetric or ± asymmetric;

perianth and androecium hypogynous or perigynous;

hypanthium absent or completely adnate to ovary;

sepals 5, connate proximally;

petals 5, white [yellowish] with distinct yellowish or greenish or gray-brown veins, 3–22 mm, usually longer than sepals;

nectary absent;

stamens 5;

staminodes 5, opposite petals, usually deeply divided, sometimes undivided, gland-tipped or glandular at apex [without glands];

pistil [3–]4[–5]-carpellate;

ovary superior to 1/2 inferior, 1-locular, placentation parietal;

style absent or essentially so;

stigmas [3–]4[–5];

ovules 100–2000+.

Fruits

capsules, 1-locular, [3–]4[–5]-valved, ellipsoid to globose, apex not beaked.

Capsules

8–12 mm.

Seeds

100–2000+ per fruit, oblong, winged;

aril absent.

x

= 9.

2n

= 36.

Parnassia fimbriata

Parnassia

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Stream banks, wet meadows, fens, seeps in forest glades, alpine ravines.
Elevation 10–3200 m. (0–10500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America; Mexico; Europe; Asia; nw Africa
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species ca. 70 (9 in the flora).

The North American species of Parnassia usually occur in moist to wet sites on neutral to base-rich substrates, but P. asarifolia often occurs on acidic substrates.

The treatment of Parnassia cirrata and P. fimbriata follows that proposed by R. B. Phillips (1980).

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

Key
1. Petal margins fimbriate proximally; cauline leaf usually on middle to distal 1/2 of stem, rarely absent.
→ 2
2. Staminodes irregularly divided into oblong, obtuse lobes, usually glandular at apex but tip not differentiated into distinct gland; sepal margins denticulate, erose, or short-fimbriate distally.
P. fimbriata
2. Staminodes scalelike proximally, distally divided into gland-tipped filaments; sepal margins usually entire, rarely minutely denticulate distally.
P. cirrata
1. Petal margins entire or undulate; cauline leaf usually on proximal 1/2 to middle of stem or absent, rarely on distal 1/2.
→ 3
3. Sepal margins not hyaline; staminodes unlobed or divided distally into 3–27 filaments.
→ 4
4. Petal lengths 1.5–2 times sepals; anthers 1.5–2.8 mm.
P. palustris
4. Petal lengths 0.8–1.5 times sepals; anthers 0.7–1.6 mm.
→ 5
5. Petals 5–13-veined; staminodes with 5–7(–9) filaments; anthers 1–1.6 mm.
P. parviflora
5. Petals usually 3-veined; staminodes unlobed or with 3–5 filaments; anthers 0.7–1 mm.
P. kotzebuei
3. Sepal margins hyaline, mostly 0.2–0.5 mm wide; staminodes 3-fid almost to base.
→ 6
6. Leaf blades mostly wider than long; petal bases abruptly contracted to claw.
P. asarifolia
6. Leaf blades longer than to ca. as long as wide; petal bases cuneate to rounded.
→ 7
7. Staminodes 4–7 mm, shorter than or ca. equaling stamens.
P. glauca
7. Staminodes 9–16 mm, longer than stamens.
→ 8
8. Staminode glands elliptic to subglobose, 0.4–0.6 mm; plants with caudices; basal leaves in rosettes; ovaries green, sometimes whitish at base.
P. grandifolia
8. Staminode glands lanceolate, 1–1.7 mm; plants with creeping rhizomes; basal leaves 1–2 per node on rhizomes; ovaries white.
P. caroliniana
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 115. FNA vol. 12, p. 113. Author: Peter W. Ball.
Parent taxa Celastraceae > Parnassia Celastraceae
Sibling taxa
P. asarifolia, P. caroliniana, P. cirrata, P. glauca, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora
Subordinate taxa
P. asarifolia, P. caroliniana, P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. glauca, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora
Name authority K. D. König: Ann. Bot. (König & Sims) 1: 391. (1804) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 273. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 133. (1754)
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