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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE SAXIFRAGE FAMILY | ||
| Saxifrages are found around the world. Plants in this family are herbs, and may be somewhat fleshy. The leaves are alternate, opposite or all basal. The leaves are often toothed or lobed. The flowers are usually in branched clusters, though occasionally they may be solitary. The flowers have both the male and female parts and have a well-developed hypanthium. The hypanthium is the fusion of part of the sepals, petals and stamens that enlarges in fruit. There are four or five sepals and petals. The fruits are capsules or clusters of pods. | ||
| FEN GRASS-OF-PARNASSUS | ||
| LATIN NAME: Parnassia glauca | ||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||
| Fen grass-of-Parnassus grows to about 40 cm tall from a stringy, fibrous root system. The stem has a waxy coating. The leaf is 7 – 9-veined and is leathery in texture. The flowers are solitary at the top of the stem. The 3 – 5-nerved sepals are overlapping and are reflexed in fruit. The petals are creamy to greenish in colour and have nine veins. The sterile stamens are three to five lobed. | ||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||
| Fen grass-of-parnassus grows in wet fens or sedge meadows. | ||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||
| This plant is found in east-central Saskatchewan in the Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Lowland, and Mid-Boreal Upland ecoregions. | ||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||
| Fen grass-of-parnassus is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. This species is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future. | ||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY FEN GRASS-OF-PARNASSUS | ||
| * Does the stem have a waxy coating? * Are the petals 9-nerved? * Are the sterile stamens three to five-lobed? * Did you find it in east-central Saskatchewan? |
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| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found fen grass-of-parnassus! | ||
