Species: Parnassia palustris var. montanensis (Fern. & Rydb. ex Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.

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Parnassia palustris var. montanensis (Fern. & Rydb. ex Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Saxifragaceae

Genus:

Parnassia

Species Synonyms:

Parnassia montanensis Fern. & Rydb. ex Rydb.

Common Names:

mountain grass-of-parnassus

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Yukon – western Mackenzie District, south to British Columbia – southwestern Alberta, northern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

northeastern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca

Ecoregion:

Tazin Lake Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

wet meadows and thickets

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5T4

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Mountain grass-of-parnassus is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 30 cm

Roots:

roots fibrous

Stems:

ca. 1 mm wide, solitary or clustered

Leaves:

basal, stalks 0.5 – 4 cm long, blade 1 – 2 cm long, oval to triangular, base rounded or nearly heart-shaped; stem leaf on lower third of stem, scarcely clasping

Inflorescence:

flowers solitary, terminal

Flowers:

sepal lobes ascending in flower, spreading in fruit, 4 – 11 mm long; petals only slightly exceeding the sepals, oval, 5 – 9-veined, cream or yellowish; sterile stamens with 5 – 7 segments

Fruits:

capsules ovoid, many-seeded

PARNASSIA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Sterile stamens with up to 15 divisions	P. palustris var. tenuis
1 Sterile stamens with no more than 9 divisions	2

2 Petals shorter than to equalling sepals, 3-nerved; stem naked or with a leaf close to the base	P. kotzebuei
2 Petals longer than sepals, with at least 5 nerves; stem usually with a leaf at or below the middle	3

3 Petals more than 3 times as long as the sepal lobes; calyx lobes reflexed at maturity; stems with a waxy coating	P. glauca
3 Petals less than 2 times as long as the sepal lobes; calyx lobes ascending; stems without a waxy coating	4

4 Leaves acute at base; stem leaf small, narrowed to base	P. palustris var. parviflora
4 Leaves heart-shaped at base; stem leaf often heart-shaped and clasping	P. palustris var. montanensis