Parnassiaceae

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Parnassiaceae
Parnassia palustris (Northern Grass of Parnassus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Celastrales Family: Parnassiaceae Gray
Genera
Lepuropetalon Parnassia

Parnassiaceae is a family of dicotyledon plants containing approximately fifty species in the genus Parnassia; a second genus, Lepuropetalon, is also sometimes included.

They are herbaceous, perennial plants and are to be found in wetland areas in temperate to cool climates predominantly in the Northern hemisphere.

The leaf arrangement is either alternating or spiral, with a clustering at the base. The flowers are single, hermaphrodite, and have five actinomorphic (equal in shape and size) petals. The fruit is produced in a capsule.

The Parnassiaceae is sometimes treated as part of the Saxifragaceae, rather than as a separate family, though genetic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group shows that they are only distantly related to this family.