Grass of Parnassus
Encyclopedia
The genus
Parnassia, also known as Grass of Parnassus or bog-stars, are plants in the family Celastraceae
. The plants occur in arctic
and alpine
habitats, as well as in dune
systems and fen
s, swamps, moist woods, and across the Northern Hemisphere
. It is actually not a grass
, but an herbaceous dicot. The stalk of the plant can reach up to 8 inches (203.2 mm), the leaves up to 4 inches (101.6 mm) and the petals can be up to 1.4 inches (35.6 mm) wide. The flower has five white petals with light green venation. There are five three-pronged sterile stamens, each tipped with drop-like, false nectaries, which (along with the visual cue of veins) attract pollinating flies and bees. The flower blooms in late summer, around July, and into October.
Parnassus flowers are the symbol of the clan MacLea
, also known as the highland Livingstone clan, which is said to be the favorite flower of St. Moluag, the Irish missionary whose staff the clan chiefs hold.
Species include:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Parnassia, also known as Grass of Parnassus or bog-stars, are plants in the family Celastraceae
Celastraceae
The Celastraceae , is a family of about 90-100 genera and 1,300 species of vines, shrubs and small trees, belonging to the order Celastrales...
. The plants occur in arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
habitats, as well as in dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
systems and fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s, swamps, moist woods, and across the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. It is actually not a grass
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
, but an herbaceous dicot. The stalk of the plant can reach up to 8 inches (203.2 mm), the leaves up to 4 inches (101.6 mm) and the petals can be up to 1.4 inches (35.6 mm) wide. The flower has five white petals with light green venation. There are five three-pronged sterile stamens, each tipped with drop-like, false nectaries, which (along with the visual cue of veins) attract pollinating flies and bees. The flower blooms in late summer, around July, and into October.
Parnassus flowers are the symbol of the clan MacLea
Clan MacLea
The Clan MacLea is a Highland Scottish clan, which was traditionally located in the district of Lorn in Argyll, Scotland, and is seated on the Isle of Lismore. There is a tradition of some MacLeas Anglicising their names to Livingstone, thus the also refers to clan as the Highland Livingstones...
, also known as the highland Livingstone clan, which is said to be the favorite flower of St. Moluag, the Irish missionary whose staff the clan chiefs hold.
Species include:
- P. asarifolia
- P. cabulica
- P. caroliniana
- P. californicaParnassia californicaParnassia californica is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae known by the common name California Grass of Parnassus. It is native to the mountains of Oregon, California, and Nevada, where it grows in moist areas such as meadows and streambanks.It is a perennial herb producing an...
- P. cirrata
- P. fimbriataParnassia fimbriataParnassia fimbriata is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae known by the common name fringed Grass of Parnassus. It is native to western North America from Alaska and northwestern Canada to the southern Rocky Mountains, where it is a plant of alpine and subalpine environments.It...
- P. glauca
- P. grandifolia
- P. kotzebuei
- P. palustrisParnassia palustrisParnassia palustris, commonly called Marsh Grass-of-Parnassus, Northern Grass-of-Parnassus, and Bog-star, is a species of the genus Parnassia....