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fringe grass-of-parnassus, Rocky Mountain parnassia

fen grass-of-parnassus

Habit Herbs with caudices. Herbs with caudices.
Stems

10–35 cm.

10–60 cm.

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;

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, 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.

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

8–12 mm.

12–14 mm.

2n

= 36.

= 32.

Parnassia fimbriata

Parnassia glauca

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Stream banks, wet meadows, fens, seeps in forest glades, alpine ravines. Seasonally wet meadows, shores, fens, ditches, seeps, wet, calcareous soils.
Elevation 10–3200 m. (0–10500 ft.) 50–700 m. (200–2300 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 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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 115. FNA vol. 12, p. 116.
Parent taxa Celastraceae > Parnassia Celastraceae > Parnassia
Sibling taxa
P. asarifolia, P. caroliniana, P. cirrata, 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
Name authority K. D. König: Ann. Bot. (König & Sims) 1: 391. (1804) Rafinesque: Autik. Bot., 42. (1840)
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