Family: Saxifragaceae,
Saxifrage
Genus: Parnassia
Description
General: perennial from short, rather stout rootstocks,
from slightly ascending to nearly erect. Flowering stems
1 to several, mostly 15-30 cm tall, the bract heart-shaped
and clasping, mostly 5-15 mm long, borne from slightly
below to considerably above midlength of the stem.
 Leaves: basal, with stalks about 3-10 cm long. Leaf
blades mostly 2-4 cm broad, broadly heart- to kidney-
shaped, glossy, hairless.
 Flowers: solitary, white. The 5 petals 5-7-veined, 8-12
mm long, about twice as long as the calyx lobes, obovate
but narrow at the base and with numerous long thread-like
fringes at the inner edges. Calyx lobes broadly
lanceolate, 4-7 mm long, usually 5-veined, entire or more
commonly with coarse edges, at least toward the rounded
tip. The 5 staminodia yellowish, thickened and scalelike,
lobed. Filaments stout, about equaling the calyx segments,
the anthers 2-2.5 mm long.
Flowering time: July-September.
 Fruits: ovoid capsules, about 1 cm long, with many
angular seeds.
Distribution
Bogs, wet meadows, and stream banks, lower montane to
arctic-alpine zone, in w., c. and n.e. parts of MT. Also from
AK and w. Alberta to CA, WY, CO and NM.
Medicinal plant: see below. |
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