182 



SAXIFRAGACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



g. PARNASSIA I,. Sp. PI. 273. 1753. 



Glabrous scapose herbs, with basal petioled entire leaves, usually with a single sessile 

 leaf on the scape, and solitary terminal white or pale yellow flowers. Calyx 5-lobed nearly 

 to the base, its short tube free from or adnate to the ovary. Petals 5, spreading, marcescent. 

 Fertile stamens 5, alternate with the petals. Staminodia (imperfect stamens) generally 

 numerous, borne in clusters at the base of each petal. Ovary i-celled; style very short or 

 none; stigmas usually 4; ovules oo. Capsule i-celled, with 4 placentae projecting within, 

 4-valved. Seeds numerous. Seed-coat winged. [From the Greek mount; the plant called 

 Grass of Parnassus by Dioscorides. ] 



About 12 species, natives of the north temperate and arctic zones. Besides the following, an- 

 other occurs in northwestern America. 



Petals sessile; leaves ovate, oval, orbicular or cordate. 

 Staminodia 3-5 at the base of each petal. 



Flower 9"-! 8" broad; petals much exceeding the calyx-lobes. 



Staminodia not longer than the stamens, stout. i. P. Caroliniana. 



Staminodia longer than the stamens, slender. 2. P. grandifolia. 



Flower 4" -5" broad; petals equalling the calyx-lobes. 3. P. Kotzebuei. 



Staminodia 7-15 at the base of each petal, slender. 



Flower i' broad; leaves cordate at base. 4. P. palustris. 



Flower 4" -5" broad; leaves narrowed at base. 5. P. parviftora. 



Petals clawed; leaves reniform; Staminodia 3 at each petal. 6. P. asarifolia. 



i. Parnassia Caroliniana Michx. 



Carolina Grass-of- Parnassus. 



(Fig. 1852.) 



Parnassia Caroliniana Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i: 

 184. 1803. 



Scape 8 / -24 / high, with a nearly sessile 

 ovate clasping leaf below the middle. Basal 

 leaves long-petioled, ovate, broadly oval or 

 orbicular, obtuse at the apex, rounded or 

 sometimes cordate-reniform at the base, or 

 decurrcnt into the petiole, \'-i' long; flower 

 9"- 1 8" broad; calyx-lobes ovate-oblong, ob- 

 tuse, much shorter than the sessile broadly 

 oval white greenish-veined petals; Stamino- 

 dia generally 3 in each set, stout; capsule 

 4 "- 5 " long. 



In swamps and low meadows, New Bruns- 

 wick to Manitoba, south to Virginia, Illinois 

 and Iowa. June-Sept. 



2. Parnassia grandifolia DC. 



Large-leaved Grass-of -Parnassus. 



(Fig. 1853.) 



Parnassia grandifolia DC. Prodr. x: 320. 1824. 



Similar to the preceding species, the scape 

 bearing an ovate clasping leaf at the middle 

 or much .below it. Basal leaves as in P. 

 Caroliniana, but often larger and narrowed 

 at the base; flower i'-2' broad; calyx-lobes 

 shorter than the sessile white petals; stami- 

 nodia 3-5 in each set, slender or almost fili- 

 form, exceeding the anther-bearing stamens. 



In moist soil, southwestern Virginia to Flor- 

 ida, Missouri and Louisiana. Ascends to 2200 

 ft. in Virginia. July-Sept. 



