Marsh grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris)

Marsh grass-of-parnassus mature plant with flowers
Marsh grass-of-parnassus mature plant with flowers

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus fact file

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus description

KingdomPlantae
PhylumTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderRosales
FamilySaxifragaceae
GenusParnassia (1)

Named after Mount Parnassus in central Greece, the marsh grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) is not in fact a grass, and is rather a member of the family Saxifragaceae (2), which comprises some 580 or so species of flowering plant (3)

The marsh grass-of-Parnassus can be recognised by its single white, showy flower which stands atop an upright, slender, bald stem. The attractive flower consists of 5 conspicuously-veined petals that are 8 to 13 millimetres in length. The leaves are produced in a rosette at the base of the plant, except for a single leaf on the middle of the flowering stem. The leaves are heart-shaped and taper to the base. The numerous, tiny, oblong seeds are encased in an oval-shaped, four-valved fruit capsule (4).

Also known as
bog star, grass of Parnassus, grass-of-Parnassus, marsh grass, northern grass of Parnassus, Parnassus.
Top

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus biology

A perennial species, the marsh grass-of-Parnassus flowers in July and August in North America, with the timing of flowering varying elsewhere. Nectar is secreted which aids in attracting insects, including bees, flies and beetles, for pollination (4). However, this species is also capable of self-fertilising if its flowers are not fertilised with the aid of pollinators (5).

Top

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus range

The marsh grass-of-Parnassus is found across North America, Europe and temperate Asia (4) (5)

In North America, this species ranges from Alaska east to Labrador, Newfoundland and Quebec, and south to Oregon, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, the Upper Great Lakes region, and New York (4).

Top

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus habitat

The marsh grass-of-Parnassus is most frequently found in alkaline habitats, such as wet moorland, marshes, meadows and high altitude bogs. It may also be found growing on damp calcareous sands on lakeshores (4) (5).

Top

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus status

The marsh grass-of-parnassus has not yet been assessed by the IUCN.

Top

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus threats

The marsh grass-of-Parnassus has an extremely large range and does not appear to be at risk from any major threats. However, some small, isolated populations appear to have low genetic diversity with little connectivity to other populations, increasing their risk of extinction (6) (7).

Top

Marsh grass-of-Parnassus conservation

Although the marsh grass-of-Parnassus has not been the target of any known conservation measures, it occurs in a number of protected areas, including the Isle Royale National Park in the United States (4)

Where small populations are threatened by low genetic diversity, populations may need to be reconnected by creating suitable habitat between existing areas (7)

Top

Find out more

Find out more about the marsh grass-of-Parnassus:

Top

Authentication

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

Top

Glossary

Alkaline
Having a pH greater than 7.0. Soil is regarded as alkaline if it has a pH between 8.0 and 10.0. Alkaline soils are usually rich in calcium ions.
Calcareous
Containing calcium carbonate, chalky.
Fertilisation
The fusion of gametes (male and female reproductive cells) to produce an embryo, which grows into a new individual.
Genetic diversity
The variety of genes within a particular species, population or breed causing differences in morphology, physiology and behaviour.
Perennial
Plants that live for at least three seasons; after an initial period they produce flowers once a year.
Pollination
The transfer of pollen grains from the stamen (male part of a flower) to the stigma (female part of a flower) of a flowering plant. This usually leads to fertilisation, the development of seeds and, eventually, a new plant.
Pollinator
An animal that in the act of visiting a plant’s flowers transfers pollen grains from the stamen (male part of a flower) to the stigma (female part of a flower) of a flowering plant. This usually leads to fertilisation, the development of seeds and, eventually, a new plant.
Top

References

  1. Catalogue of Life (July, 2011)
    http://www.catalogueoflife.org/
  2. Plantlife - Grass-of-Parnassus (July, 2011)
    http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/grass-of-parnassus/
  3. Watson, L. and Dallwitz, M.J. (1992) The Families of Flowering Plants: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification and Information Retrival. Version 4th March 2011. Universität Hamburg, Germany. Available at:
    http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/araliace.htm
  4. Michigan Natural Features Inventory - Marsh grass-of-Parnassus (July, 2011)
    http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/abstracts/botany/Parnassia_palustris.pdf
  5. Plants for a Future - Parnassia palustris (July, 2011)
    http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Parnassia+palustris
  6. Bonnin, I. et al. (2002) Population structure of an endangered species living in contrasted habitats: Parnassia palustris (Saxifragaceae). Molecular Ecology, 11: 979-990.
  7. Bossuyt, B. (2007) Genetic rescue in an isolated metapopulation of a naturally fragmented plant species, Parnassia palustris. Conservation Biology, 21: 832-841.

More »Related species

Saxifraga (Saxifraga portosanctana)Heartleaved foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)Saxifraga (Saxifraga presolanensis)Tufted saxifrage (Saxifraga caespitosa)Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium)Saxifraga (Saxifraga berica)Yellow marsh saxifrage (Saxifraga hirculus)Brunellia (Brunellia cayambensis)

This species is featured in:

This species is found in Wisconsin's Northwoods and has been profiled with the support of a Wisconsin-based family who care deeply about the area. To learn more visit our eco-region pages.

Please donate to ARKive today

Help us share the wonders of the natural world. Donate today!

Sign up to our newsletter

Get the latest wild news direct to your inbox.

Get involved

ARKive relies on its media donors to donate photos and videos. Can you help? There are plenty of other ways you can get involved too!

X
Close

Image credit

Marsh grass-of-parnassus mature plant with flowers  
Marsh grass-of-parnassus mature plant with flowers

© Philippe Clement / naturepl.com

Nature Picture Library
5a Great George Street
Bristol
BS1 5RR
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 117 911 4675
Fax: +44 (0) 117 911 4699
info@naturepl.com
http://www.naturepl.com

X
Close

Link to this photo

ARKive species - Marsh grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.

Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps.

Read more about

X
Close

MyARKive

MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.

X
Close

Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials

Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors.

Visitors to this website (End Users) are entitled to:

  • view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
  • download and retain copies of the Material on their personal systems in digital form in low resolution for their own personal use;
  • teachers, lecturers and students may incorporate the Material in their educational material (including, but not limited to, their lesson plans, presentations, worksheets and projects) in hard copy and digital format for use within a registered educational establishment, provided that the integrity of the Material is maintained and that copyright ownership and authorship is appropriately acknowledged by the End User.

End Users shall not copy or otherwise extract, alter or manipulate Material other than as permitted in these Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials.

Additional use of flagged material

Green flagged material 

Certain Material on this website (Licence 4 Material) displays a green flag next to the Material and is available for not-for-profit conservation or educational use. This material may be used by End Users, who are individuals or organisations that are in our opinion not-for-profit, for their not-for-profit conservation or not-for-profit educational purposes. Low resolution, watermarked images may be copied from this website by such End Users for such purposes. If you require high resolution or non-watermarked versions of the Material, please contact Wildscreen with details of your proposed use.

Creative commons material

Certain Material on this website has been licensed to Wildscreen under a Creative Commons Licence. These images are clearly marked with the Creative Commons buttons and may be used by End Users only in the way allowed by the specific Creative Commons Licence under which they have been submitted. Please see http://creativecommons.org for details.

Any other use

Please contact the copyright owners directly (copyright and contact details are shown for each media item) to negotiate terms and conditions for any use of Material other than those expressly permitted above. Please note that many of the contributors to ARKive are commercial operators and may request a fee for such use.

Save as permitted above, no person or organisation is permitted to incorporate any copyright material from this website into any other work or publication in any format (this includes but is not limited to: websites, Apps, CDs, DVDs, intranets, extranets, signage, digital communications or on printed materials for external or other distribution). Use of the Material for promotional, administrative or for-profit purposes is not permitted.