Scientific Name: Parnassia glauca Common Name: Grass of Parnassus The genus Parnassia was named for a related species first discovered on Mt. Parnassus in Greece. The common name is a misnomer, for this plant is not a grass, but a member of the saxifrage family. Parnassia glauca is found throughout the formerly glaciated regions of North America. In eastern Pennsylvania, P. glauca likes calcareous (limey) wetlands with seepy, sedge-dominated openings.

Carolina Grass of Parnassus at Mt. Bethel Fens

P. glauca is a Pennsylvania-endangered species in part because the state is in the southern edge of its range. This designation is for plant species which are in danger of extinction throughout most or all of their natural range within the Commonwealth.

Grass of Parnassus has beautiful white flowers ¾ to 1½ inches wide. The flowers are delicately striped with green veins, and sit atop long, slender, grass-like stalks. The plant ranges from 6 to 24 inches in height and has a rosette of broad, long-stalked basal leaves, which are rounded or heart-shaped. While its white blooms are reminiscent of spring flowers, it blooms in late summer and fall (August/September).

There are eleven historical records for P. glauca in Pennsylvania dating back to 1869, but many of the sites have been altered by development and invasive exotic species and no longer support wetland species. Mt. Bethel Fens is home to one of the few excellent populations of P. glauca in the state. Several thousand plants are scattered throughout the fens and seepy areas. Across its range, Grass of Parnassus faces many threats. The greatest are loss of habitat, succession, and competition from exotic species.