PROTECTING WISCONSIN'S BIODIVERSITY

 
 
   
 
Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank Federal Status WI Status

Small-flowered Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia parviflora)

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Photo by William S. Alverson

 

Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Small-flowered Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia parviflora), a Wisconsin Endangered plant, is found on the Lake Michigan shoreline in crevices in wet, dolomite pavement, or moist, open, sandy beaches and dunes. Its appearance is irregular. Blooming occurs throughout July, fruiting throughout August. The optimal identification period for this species is early-July through August.

 
 
 

Small-flowered grass-of-parnassus is an erect forb with white, bisexual flowers that are 5-13-nerved, 6-10mm, one fifth to one half longer than the green sepals. It has numerous seeds that are oblong and angular. Leaves are mostly basal with a single cauline leaf, entire, palmately veined. Blades of basal leaves are ovate to oblong, 1-3.5cm, one half to three quarters as wide, narrowed at the base, cauline leaf is usually present, erect, lanceolate to ovate, 3-15mm, narrowed to a sessile base.

Blooming occurs throughout July, fruiting throughout August.

Perennial. The optimal identification period for this species is early-July through late-August.

Associated species include Lobelia kalmii, Hypericum kalmianum, Castilleja coccinea, Selaginella eclipes, Carex aurea, and Equisetum variegatum.

Small-flowered grass-of-Parnassus is found on the Lake Michigan shoreline in crevices in wet, dolomite pavement, or moist, open, sandy beaches and dunes. Its appearance is irregular.

Avoid known individual plant locations and conduct operations elsewhere when they are least likely to cause damage. Ideally, this would involve frozen, snow-covered ground. However, in areas of the state where frozen conditions are unreliable, very dry soils late in the growing season might be the best available alternative. Consult with a biologist, if needed.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Avoid disturbance to shorelines and the forest-beach interface.

Avoid any activities that destabilize the dune, including the use of off-road vehicles, removal of native vegetation, and pedestrian recreational overuse.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.