_Grass-of-Parnassus Family_
Smooth bog-herbs with a rosette of basal leaves and generally one or
a few alternate stem leaves and solitary, terminal flowers. Flowers
perfect; calyx generally 5-lobed to near the base; petals 5; perfect
stamens 5; staminodia (imperfect stamens) in clusters at the base of
each petal; stigmas 4.
[Sidenote: =Parnassia fimbriata= Banks. _Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus._]
Leaves tufted at the base on petioles 2—6 inches long; blades reniform
or broadly cordate, ¾—½ an inch wide, thin, smooth, with about 7
principal veins. Flowers ¾ of an inch or more broad on a scape 8—12
inches high with a small cordate clasping bract about the middle;
sepals ¼ of an inch long, elliptic, obtuse; petals obovate, pure white,
fringed at the base, staminodia united into 5 fleshy obovate scales.
Common throughout the region in springy places and damp mossy banks at
the lower altitudes, flowering during July.
[Illustration: Parnassia montanensis Rydb. & Fernald. (½ Nat.) Marsh
Grass of Parnassus.]
[Illustration: Ribes lacustre (Pers.) Poir. (¼ Nat.) Swamp
Gooseberry.]
[Sidenote: =Parnassia montanensis= Rydb. and Fernald. _Marsh
Grass-of-Parnassus._]
Leaves tufted at the base on short petioles, blades ovate with a
cordate or rounded base ¾ of an inch long. Flowers solitary, on scapes
8 inches or more high with a large ovate bract below the middle; sepals
lanceolate, acute, ¼ of an inch or more long, petals oval to elliptic
only slightly larger than the sepals; staminodial scales with 7—9
gland-tipped filaments.
Throughout the Rockies in marshy ground and shaded river shores;
flowering in June and early July.
[Sidenote: =Parnassia parviflora= DC. _Small-flowered
Grass-of-Parnassus._]
Scapes slender, 4—12 inches high, usually bearing a clasping oval
leaf at the middle. Basal leaves on slender petioles, oval or ovate,
narrowed at the base, not cordate, ½—1 inch long. Flowers about ⅓ of
an inch broad, sepals equalling or somewhat shorter than the elliptic
sessile petals; staminodia 5—7 at the base of each petal.
In wet gravelly places at the lower altitudes throughout the Rockies;
flowering in July.
[Sidenote: =Parnassia Kotzebuei= Cham. and Schl. _Alpine
Grass-of-Parnassus._]
Much smaller than the preceding species. Basal leaves few on petioles
less than an inch long; blades broadly ovate, ½ an inch long. Flowers
on slender scapes 2—4 inches high, without any bract; sepals oblong,
about ¼ of an inch long, equalling or exceeding the elliptic or oval
3-veined petals; staminodia short with 3—5 slender filaments.
Throughout the Rockies at high altitudes on the gravelly borders of
alpine ponds or brooks, a very diminutive species, flowering in July.