''Parnassia palustris'', the marsh grass of Parnassus, northern grass-of-Parnassus, or just grass-of-Parnassus, and bog star, is a flowering plant in the staff-vine family Celastraceae. It is the county flower of

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic counties of England, historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th c ...

in England, and appears on its

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

. The name comes from ancient Greece: evidently the cattle on Mount Parnassus appreciated the plant; hence it was an "honorary grass". The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''palustris'' is Latin for "of the marsh" and indicates its common habitat. It was described by the Greek physician Dioscorides, growing up a mountain in 1st century A.D.

Description

This perennial plant is not a grass, nor does it look like one, but grows from a short underground stem. It has long stemmed heart-shaped leaves, which are 4-12 in (10–30 cm) long. In the centre of the leaf, is the flowering stem. The stem holds a solitary white flower, blooming between July and October. The flower has 5 stamens around the centre. The flower produces a honey-like scent to attract pollinators.

Range and distribution

''Parnassia palustris'' is native to northern temperate parts of Eurasia. It is found in wet moorlands and marshes of northern England and Scotland.

Uses

It was once used in herbal medicines, to treat disorders of the liver. An infusion of the leaves, (similar to a tea) was also used to treat indigestion. When added to wine or water, the leaves are claimed to dissolve kidney stones.

History

While finishing his schooling in the School of Mines at Freiberg from June 14, 1791, to February 26, 1792, Alexander von Humboldt published three articles on plants in the Annalen der Botanik. These were his first of what the world famous explorer would produce. Notably, one was concerning "On the Motion of the Filaments of the Parnassia Palustris."von F. A. v. Humboldt. "Beobachtungen über die Staubfäden der Parnaflia paluftris"
Annalen der Botanick. / Herausgegeben von Dr. Paulus Usteri. Drittes Stück. 1792 vol.3, p.7
Accessed Dec 21, 2021

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q161633 palustris Flora of Canada Flora of the Western United States Flora of Western Canada Flora of Alaska Flora of California Flora of Colorado Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of the Rocky Mountains Flora of England Flora of Scotland Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora without expected TNC conservation status