# Fringed Grass of Parnassus (*Parnassia fimbriata*)

Fringed Grass of Parnassus is a beautiful flower with delicate, lacy petals. It grows in wet places and is often found near ponds and marshes, making it a lovely sight in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![Fringed Grass of Parnassus](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Parnassia_fimbriata_%28NPS_Yellowstone_slide_file_08796%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: JW Stockert, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parnassia_fimbriata_%28NPS_Yellowstone_slide_file_08796%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Fringed Grass of Parnassus is a delicate wildflower featuring brilliant white, cup-shaped flowers. Each petal boasts distinctive green veins and a prominent, often yellow-tipped, fringed false stamen (staminode) at its base, making it visually unique.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Celastrales
- **Family:** Parnassiaceae
- **Genus:** Parnassia

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, this isn't a grass at all! It's a beautiful wildflower.
- Its name Parnassia honors Mount Parnassus, a famous mountain in Greece.
- Some small insects get a sweet reward for helping it make seeds.
- The tiny fringes on its petals are called staminodes, not stamens!

## Special abilities

- **Deceptive Frills:** Fringed Grass of Parnassus has unique fringed staminodes that mimic extra stamens, potentially luring more pollinators.
- **Sequential Bloom:** Fringed Grass of Parnassus can ripen its anthers one by one, ensuring cross-pollination by different visitors over time.
- **Wetland Warrior:** Fringed Grass of Parnassus can thrive in soggy, boggy soils thanks to special adaptations for low oxygen levels.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-40 cm
- **Spread:** 5-15 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to early fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Vancouver Bumblebee (*Bombus vancouverensis*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Common Drone Fly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-drone-fly) (*Syrphus ribesii*) — helps carry pollen between flowers
- **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — deer might browse its leaves and flowers

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Fringed Grass of Parnassus?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Fringed Grass of Parnassus?

10-40 cm

### How wide does Fringed Grass of Parnassus spread?

5-15 cm

### How big are the flowers on Fringed Grass of Parnassus?

1.5-2.5 cm

### When does Fringed Grass of Parnassus bloom?

Late summer to early fall

### Is Fringed Grass of Parnassus edible?

No

### Is Fringed Grass of Parnassus toxic?

None

### What is Fringed Grass of Parnassus's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Great Northern Railway Buildings](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-northern-railway-buildings) — Montana, US · Historic Site
- [Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kokanee-glacier-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Fringed Grass of Parnassus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fringed-grass-of-parnassus)