Parnassia parviflora

Small-flowered grass-of-parnassus

Family: Parnassiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Small-flowered grass-of-parnassus is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada Mountains near Convict Lake in Mono County, inhabiting rocky seeps at elevations of 2,000 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from August to September, this plant produces white flowers about 3.5 to 10 millimeters long with delicate ovate-elliptic petals. Growing with slender stems 10 to 35 centimeters tall, it develops a distinctive growth pattern with a bract positioned at or below the middle of the scape. Its leaves are ovate to oblong, 2 to 7 centimeters long, with blades 1 to 3.5 centimeters wide and typically featuring a truncate base. The fruit is 7 to 13 millimeters long, developing with elliptic calyx lobes that spread open as the plant matures.

Habitat: Rocky seeps

Bloom period: Aug-Sep

Elevation: 2000-2800 m

Bioregions: c SNH (Convict Lake, Mono Co.)

California counties: Mono, Inyo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.