BY LESLIE REGO
August brings on the late-blooming wildflowers and one of them is the grass of Parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata), which is not a grass at all but, rather, part of the Saxifrage family.
This plant likes to grow along stream banks or in boggy meadows, generally where there is shade. The white flower tops a long, slender stem that springs from a rosette of kidney-shaped leaves. The bloom measures less than an inch across and is composed of five petals and five stamens. The stamens are tipped with an obvious yellow anther, which holds the pollen. The petals are particularly captivating because they are fringed halfway up the sides. If you look closely, you can see that the fringe is curly. The fringed petals and the stamens which lie between the petals makes this flower very easy to recognize.
I like to explore the shaded glades that exist alongside a stream. Walking slowly in these deep green areas I can find all kinds of plants that would be difficult to see from the trail. I find it interesting in my meanderings that there are groupings of flowers that like to grow together. This is true with the grass of Parnassus, which enjoys sharing its terrain with Western monkshood (Aconitum columbianum). The blooms on monkshood are a deep purple. They are recognizable by the obvious hood-like upper sepal that hangs over two smaller petals. But beware of monkshood because the entire plant is very poisonous. Never ingest any part of this plant! Historically, monkshood was used to bait wolf traps, as part of a witch’s brew or to poison criminals.
The white of the grass of Parnassus is arresting against the purple of monkshood. They are easy to find in the deep greens of a shaded glade. Both plants seek shade and moisture and seem to thrive together.
So if you are out walking and see one of these plants, poke around because you are sure to find the other close by.
Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit www.leslierego.com.