Parnassia palustris (Grass of Parnassus) - photos and description
15 ruler for scale
General: Perennial plants with slender stems from a basal rosette of leaves. Flowering stem is four-angled. Plants are glabrous.
Flowers: Flowers single, terminal on long scapes, we measured a flower at 2.5 cm in diameter.
Leaves: Leaves mostly basal, basal leaves ovate with cordate bases, and with long petioles. We measured a basal leaf at 20 mm long and 15 mm wide. Scapes have a single leaf clasping the scape below the midway point of the scape.
Height: Budd's Flora lists the height to 30 cm, the plant in the above photo was 43 cm tall.
Habitat: Moist to wet ground, often calcareous soil.
Abundance: Common.
Origin: Native.
When and where photographed: Took the above photos on July 5th in a moist meadow among aspen woods, parklands, about 65 km south east of Regina, SK, July 28th grassy shore beside lake, Moose Mountain provincial park, about 200 km southeast of Regina, SK, and August 21st walking path along Last Mountain Lake, about 200 km north of our home in Regina, SK.