Grass-of-Parnassus from Zelle In Georgia

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A white flower I found while hiking in the Atlanta mountains

Hi Zelle,

you have a wonderful plant here, called the kidney-leaf Grass-of-Parnassus, Parnassia asarifolia. It is rather rare and found in seeps in the mountains. I have also seen it in Oconee County, South Carolina. Yours is a wonderful picture showing the 3 elongated stamens and the many shorter sterile stamens called staminodes. The petals have striking veins. This is one of my favorite mountain wildflowers in the southern Appalachians.

Sincerely,

Steve Hill, Botanist, SCNPS

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