SAXIFRAGACEAE (SAXIFRAGE FAMILY) 449 



9. PARNASSIA [Tourn.] L. GRASS OF PARNASSUS 



Sepals 5, imbricated in the bud, slightly united at the base, persistent. Petals 

 5, spreading, imbricated in the bud ; a more or less cleft gland-bearing scale 

 at the base of each. Stamens 5, alternate with the petals, persistent. Ovary 

 1-celled, with 4 projecting parietal placentae ; stigmas 4, sessile. Capsule 

 4-valved, the valves bearing the placentae on their middle. Seeds very numer- 

 ous, anatropous. Embryo straight; cotyledons very short. Perennial smooth 

 herbs, with entire leaves, and solitary flowers on long scape-like stems, which 

 often bear a single sessile leaf. Petals white, with greenish or yellowish veins. 

 (Named from Mount Parnassus.) 



Calyx-lobes elongate, herbaceous throughout, ascending in fruit; scales dilated 



below, 5-oo -cleft about to the middle. 

 Leaves gradually tapering at base ; petals elliptic-oblong . . . . 1. P. parmflora. 



Leaves cordate ; petals ovate 2. P. palustris. 



Calyx-lobes short-oblong, firm, with scarious margins, reflexed in fruit ; scales 



3-cleft to the base. 

 Petals sessile. 



Scales shorter than or barely equaling the stamens 8. P. caroliniana. 



Scales much exceeding the stamens 4. P. grandifolia. 



Petals abruptly contracted into a claw 5. P. asarifolia. 



1. P. parvifl6ra DC. Scapes 0.5-3 dm. high, slightly angled ; leaves ovate 

 or oblong, slender-petioled ; petals 5-8 mm. long, slightly exceeding the calyx- 

 lobes ; scales mostly 5-7-cleft ; capsule with thin firm walls. Meadows, wet 

 rocks, etc., Nfd. to Alaska/ s. to Cape Breton I., Mich., Wise., S. Dak., and 

 Utah. July, Aug. 



2. P. palustris L. Scapes subterete, 0.5-4 dm. high ; leaves firm, cordate- 

 ovate, slender-petioled ; petals 10-13 mm. long, much exceeding the calyx-lobes ; 

 scales mostly 9-lo-cleft. Lab. to Alaska, locally s. to e. Que., Mich., Minn., 

 N. Dak., and Wyo. July, Aug. (Eurasia.) 



3. P. caroliniana Michx. Scapes 1.5-6 dm. high ; leaves coriaceous, ovate 

 to orbicular, often subcordate ; petals ovate-oblong, 10-18 mm. long, many- 

 veined, twice or thrice exceeding the scales. Swamps or wet mostly calcareous 

 rocks, somewhat local. Aug., Sept. 



4. P. grandifblia DC. Similar but stouter, with larger leaves and flowers ; 

 gland-tipped cilia filiform, much exceeding the stamens and nearly equaling the 

 petals. Mts., Va. to Fla. and Mo. (according to Wheelock). Aug., Sept. 



6. P. asarif61ia Vent. Scapes angled, 2-5 dm. high ; leaves coriaceous, 

 reniform, the basal slender-petioled ; petals oblong-elliptic, 10-18 mm. long, 

 many-veined ; scales mostly shorter than the stamens. Bogs, wet rocks, etc., 

 mts. from Va. south w. Aug. -Oct. 



10. PHILADELPHUS L. MOCK ORANGE OR SYRINGA 



Calyx-tube top-shaped ; the limb 4-5-parted, spreading, persistent, valvate in 

 the bud. Petals rounded or obovate, large. Styles united below or nearly to 

 the top ; stigmas oblong or linear. Capsule 3-5-celled, splitting at length into 

 as many pieces. Seeds very numerous, with a loose membranaceous coat pro- 

 longed at both ends. Shrubs, with opposite often toothed leaves, no stipules, 

 and solitary or cymose-clustered showy white flowers. (An ancient name, 

 applied by Linnaeus to this genus for no obvious reason.) 



1. P. inodbrus L. Glabrous; leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, pointed, entire 

 or with some spreading teeth ; flowers single or few at the ends of the diverging 

 branches, pure white, scentless ; calyx-lobes acute, scarcely longer than the 

 tube. Mts. of Va. to Ga. and Ala. ; sometimes established north w. 



2. P. grandiflbrus Willd. A tall shrub, like the last, but somewhat pubescent, 

 with long and recurved branches, larger flowers, and the calyx-lobes long and 

 taper-pointed. Along streams, Va. to Fla. Often cultivated. 



P. CORONARIUS L., the common MOCK ORANGE or SYRINGA of cultivation, 

 from s. Eu., with racemose cream-colored odorous flowers, sometimes escapes. 



GRAY'S MANUAL 29 



