About Parnassia glauca Raf.
Parnassia glauca Raf. has 5-merous flowers, with five petals and five sepals. It also has five sterile stamens; each splits into three prongs near its base, which makes the flower look as if it has 15 sterile stamens. Every branch of the sterile stamens is topped by a small yellow spherical structure that mimics a drop of nectar. Each of its five white petals has green veins, which may act as guides for pollinators. This plant has simple leaves with entire margins, and all leaves grow only at the base of the plant. Its fruit is a dry capsule that splits open when it ripens. Parnassia glauca is native to the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Its natural habitats are fens, wetland edges, and the shores and floodplains of rivers and lakes. It most often grows in basic, high pH soils.
