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

fen grass-of-parnassus

Habit Herbs with caudices. Herbs with caudices.
Stems

2–35 cm.

10–60 cm.

Leaves

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.

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 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.

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

7–10 mm.

12–14 mm.

2n

= 36.

= 32.

Parnassia parviflora

Parnassia glauca

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Wet, calcareous shores, meadows, fens, seepy scree slopes. Seasonally wet meadows, shores, fens, ditches, seeps, wet, calcareous soils.
Elevation 10–2900 m. (0–9500 ft.) 50–700 m. (200–2300 ft.)
Distribution
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
[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

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.)

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. 114. FNA vol. 12, p. 116.
Parent taxa Celastraceae > Parnassia Celastraceae > Parnassia
Sibling taxa
P. asarifolia, P. caroliniana, P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. glauca, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris
P. asarifolia, P. caroliniana, P. cirrata, P. fimbriata, P. grandifolia, P. kotzebuei, P. palustris, P. parviflora
Synonyms P. palustris var. parviflora
Name authority de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 320. (1824) Rafinesque: Autik. Bot., 42. (1840)
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