Parnassia palustris, SE: Slåtterblomma, DE: Sumpf-Herzblatt,
NL: Parnassuskruid, UK: Grass-of-Parnassus

Scientific name:		Parnassia palustris L.
Swedish name:		Slåtterblomma; synonym: hjärtblad, hjärtblomma
German name:		Sumpf-Herzblatt
Nederlandse naam:		Parnassuskruid
English name:		Grass-of-Parnassus, Marsh Grass-of-Parnassus, Northern Grass-of-Parnassus, Bog-star
Family:		Celastraceae, staff vine or bittersweet family, Benvedsväxter (Parnassiaceae, Slåtterblommeväxter)

Life form:		Deciduous, herbaceous perennial
Stems:		Height 5-25 cm, erect; usually 1-leaved, sometimes 2-leaved or leafles
Leaves:		Oval to heart-shaped
Flowers:		solitary terminating stems; sepals densely purple-brown punctate, elliptic or oblong; Cup-shaped,5 white petals, translucent nerves; stamens 5; pistil of 4 fused carpels, almost lacking style, with 4 stigmas; with claw, with scales or nectaries fringed with hairs, and yellow glands
Flowering Period:		July-September
Fruits:		Capsule ovoid, 4-lobed; Seeds brown, glossy, oblong
Habitat:		Fens, damp river-bank meadows and fells
Distribution:		All over Sweden

Derivation of the botanical name: Parnassia, from Mount Parnassus in Greece, and was called gramen parnassium by Dodonaeus. In ancient times Mount Parnassus in Greece was said to be the home of Apollo and his muse – and grass of Parnassus is certainly as beautiful as any poem. palustris, Palus, pool; growing in marshes. The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.