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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. | ||
| SMALL GRASS-OF-PARNASSUS | ||
| LATIN NAME: Parnassia kotzebuei | ||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||
| Small grass-of-parnassus grows to as tall as 10 cm from fibrous roots and a short rhizome. The leaves are generally all basal and are rounded to heart-shaped. Occasionally a single stem leaf may be present close to the base of the stem. The flowers are solitary at the top of the stem. The petals are shorter than to equalling the sepals and have three nerves. The sterile stamens are 3 – 6-lobed. | ||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||
| Small grass-of-Parnassus grows on wet, rocky lake shores. | ||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||
| This plant is only found in northern Saskatchewan in the Tazin Lake Upland and Selwyn Lake Upland ecoregions. | ||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||
| Small grass-of-parnassus is endangered because it is rare or uncommon and is limited to the northern part of the province. This species is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future. | ||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SMALL GRASS-OF-PARNASSUS | ||
| * Is the stem less than 10 cm tall? * Are the petals 3-nerved? * Are the sterile stamens 3 – 6-lobed? * Did you find it in northern Saskatchewan? |
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| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found small grass-of-parnassus! | ||
