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Parnassia asarifolia
Also called Grass Of Parnassus, Kidney Leaved Grass Of Parnassus
Paranassia asarifolia, commonly known as kidneyleaf-grass-of-Parnassus or Appalachian-grass-of-Parnassus is a small, perennial wildflower in the family Celastraceae native to the southeastern United States. It occurs mainly in the southern Appalachian region, where it grows in cool, wet habitats such as mountain bogs, fens, seeps, and wet woodlands on acidic soils..
The species is distinguished by its basal rosette of kidney-shaped leaves and a single white, veined flower borne on an erect stem. Flowering occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, followed by capsule fruit development. Like other members of the genus Parnassia, its flowers have sterile staminodes that likely aid in insect pollination.
Since P. asarifolia is such a specialized species, gardeners will sometimes grow it in bog or wet-garden settings. It does best in consistently moist to wet soil, specifically loam or sand, and acidic conditions. This reflects its adaptation to bogs, seeps, and wet woodlands. It requires partial (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours) to full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight a day). It also relies on stable hydrology to survive, as it is sensitive to drying or changes in soil moisture.
Paranassia asarifolia is distributed across the southern Appalachian region and surrounding areas in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. It is found in boggy or swampy areas such as fens, wet woods, rocky banks, and mountain bogs, and it is commonly in acidic soil in loam or sand in full sun to partial shade between 700-4900 feet of elevation.
There is no documentation of this species having a medicinal use, but it is said to be used in landscaping for native gardens in regions that it is indigenous to.
California grass of Parnassus · Carolina grass of Parnassus · Fringed grass of Parnassus · Fen grass of Parnassus · Largeleaf grass of Parnassus · Marsh grass of Parnassus · Bog-stars
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Parnassia asarifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
