PARNAS'SIA CAROLINIA'NA. 
CAROLINA PARNASSIA. 
Order. 
TETRAGYNIA. 
Natural Order . 
SAXIFRAGES. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
N. America 
6 inches. 
June, July. 
Perennial. 
in 1802. 
No. 550. 
Parnassia is a name given to this genus of plants 
after the celebrated Mount Parnassus of Greece, on 
account of the common species being believed to be 
the Grass of Parnassus, described by Dioscorides, 
perhaps before the Christian era. These associations 
of plants are by no means the least gratifying por- 
tion of botanical pursuits. Who can look, with 
feeling of apathy, on a plant which ancient Grecians, 
perhaps Pindar himself, may have lingered over on 
the very brink of the Castalian spring. Here, be- 
side the Parnassia, he may have courted the muses, 
fanned his poetic flame, and gathered that fire from 
the heights of Hyampea, which still shines in his 
inimitable Lyrics. 
The Parnassia Caroliniana, is a larger plant than 
our own species, the palustris. No. 195. Its stamens 
have the same peculiarity of action — approaching 
to, and receding from, the style, which has been no- 
ticed under Parnassia palustris. From their size 
in each of the species, their difference of position 
becomes the more obvious and interesting. 
This species should have a slight protection in 
winter. See Auctarium, section 70. 
Don’s Syst. Bot. v. 1, 348. 
Class. 
PENTANDRIA. 
