Definition

Noun: 1. A specific flowering plant: A perennial herbaceous plant (Parnassia fimbriata) native to wetlands in western North America. It is characterized by its heart-shaped basal leaves and distinctive white flowers with fringed (fimbriate) petals.

Usage

• This term is used specifically in botany, ecology, and nature writing to identify this particular species of plant. It is a proper common name.
• Example: "The botanist was thrilled to find a patch of fringed grass of Parnassus blooming near the alpine stream."
• Example: "Conservation efforts in the meadow aim to protect the habitat of the fringed grass of Parnassus."

Advanced Usage

• The name is often used in scientific or formal descriptions of wetland flora communities.
• Example: "The fen's plant community is dominated by sedges, with fringed grass of Parnassus indicating high-quality, undisturbed hydrology."

Variants and Related Words

• Parnassia fimbriata: The scientific (Latin) binomial name for the plant.
• Grass-of-Parnassus: The common name for the genus . "Fringed grass of Parnassus" specifies one species within this genus.
• Bog star: A less common colloquial name sometimes used for related species in the genus.

Synonyms

• Fringed Parnassia: An alternative common name.
• : The formal scientific synonym.

Notes on Meaning

• The name is compound and refers to a single, specific entity (a plant species). It is not used figuratively.
• The "fringed" part of the name directly describes the delicate, hair-like projections on the edges of the flower's five white petals.
• "Grass of Parnassus" is a traditional name for plants in this genus, linking them to Mount Parnassus in Greek mythology, sacred to Apollo and the Muses.

Noun

1. bog plant with broadly heart-shaped basal leaves and cream-colored or white saucer-shaped flowers with fringed petals; west of Rocky Mountains from Alaska to New Mexico