All Floras      Advanced Search
FOC Vol. 8 Page 358 Login | eFloras Home | Help
FOC | Family List | FOC Vol. 8 | Saxifragaceae

15. Parnassia Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 273. 1753.

梅花草属 mei hua cao shu

Gu Cuizhi (Ku Tsue-chih); Ulla-Maj Hultgård

Parnassia wightiana

Credit: Harvard University Herbaria

Herbs perennial, glabrous. Rhizome sympodial, robust. Stems (scapes) 1 to several, 1- or 2- or several leaved, rarely leafless. Basal leaves 2 or several, forming a rosette; stipules membranous; petiole usually long; leaf blade entire. Cauline leaves 1 to several or absent, often sessile and semiamplexicaul. Flower solitary, terminal; hypanthium free or fused with ovary proximally. Sepals 5, usually imbricate. Petals 5, imbricate, white or yellowish, rarely greenish, margin fimbriate, erose, or entire. Stamens 5, inserted opposite sepals, a few species with anther connective projected into a lanceolate appendage; staminodes 5, inserted opposite petals, terete and entire or flat and divided into lobes or filiform rays, apically somewhat glandular or with a distinct, globose gland. Pistil 1; ovary superior or semi-inferior, 1-loculed; placentation parietal; ovules numerous. Fruit a capsule, superior or semi-inferior, sometimes longitudinally angled, loculicidally dehiscent on abaxial suture into 3 or 4 valves. Seeds numerous, brown, obovoid or oblong, very small, 1-2 mm; testa thin, membranous, reticulate, smooth; endosperm thin or absent.

About 70 species: temperate regions of the N hemisphere, mainly in S and SE Asia; 63 species (49 endemic) in China.

Also see Wu, Ding et al. 2009. Taxonomic notes on Parnassia sect. Saxifragastrum (Parnassiaceae) from China. Ann. Bot. Fennici 46: 559-565.


Key 2

1 Cauline leaves absent.   (2)
+ Cauline leaves 1-3 or more.   (3)
       
2 (1) Petals yellow, emarginate or 2-lobulate at apex; leaf blade with 3-5 parallel veins; staminodes 3-lobed for ca. 1/3 their length, lobes equal, narrow   15 P. lutea
+ Petals white, rounded-obtuse at apex; leaf blade usually with 5 parallel veins; staminodes 3-lobed for ca. 1/5 their length, central lobe longer than lateral ones   16 P. scaposa
       
3 (1) Cauline leaves 2 or 3 or more.   (4)
+ Cauline leaf 1.   (9)
       
4 (3) Cauline leaves 2; staminodes 2- or 3-lobed and eglandular at apex.   (5)
+ Cauline leaves 3 or more; staminodes branched, branches with globose glands at apex.   (6)
       
5 (4) Staminodes 2-lobed at apex; stem 10-50 cm   46 P. bifolia
+ Staminodes 3-lobed at apex; stem 4-6 cm   42 P. lijiangensis
       
6 (4) Petals rhomboid, margin subentire or undulate   53 P. rhombipetala
+ Petals not rhomboid, margin fimbriate proximally or throughout.   (7)
       
7 (6) Petal margin fimbriate proximally   54 P. amoena
+ Petal margin fimbriate throughout.   (8)
       
8 (7) Petals oblanceolate or oblong, marginal fimbriae turgid at apex; staminode branches not parallel; cauline leaves usually 2-5   55 P. noemiae
+ Petals ovate or triangular-ovate, marginal fimbriae not turgid at apex; staminode branches parallel; cauline leaves usually more than 3   56 P. foliosa
       
9 (3) Basal leaves 10 or more, cespitose.   (10)
+ Basal leaves usually 3-5(-12), not cespitose.   (13)
       
10 (9) Staminodes entire and rounded at apex.   (11)
+ Staminodes 2-lobed and 2-labiate at apex.   (12)
       
11 (10) Petals broadly elliptic; sepals oblong; cauline leaf borne near middle of stem   9 P. petitmenginii
+ Petals broadly oblanceolate; sepals lanceolate; cauline leaf borne near apex of stem   10 P. esquirolii
       
12 (10) Basal leaf blade broadly obovate, broadly ovate, or broadly rhomboid-ovate, 6-15 mm   11 P. faberi
+ Basal leaf blade rhomboid, ovate-rhomboid, or suborbicular, 2-3 mm   12 P. labiata
       
13 (9) Anther connective apically projected into a lanceolate appendage.   (14)
+ Anther connective not apically projected.   (16)
       
14 (13) Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate or ovate; staminodes 3-lobed for 1/4-1/3 their length, central lobe narrow, lateral ones wider; style short, not exserted beyond staminodes, occasionally longer   43 P. brevistyla
+ Basal leaf blade reniform or suborbicular; staminodes 3-lobed for 1/2 their length or slightly more; style usually longer, exserted beyond staminodes, rarely shorter.   (15)
       
15 (14) Staminodes divided for 2/5-1/2 their length; basal leaf blade reniform or suborbicular   44 P. delavayi
+ Staminodes divided for ca. 2/3 their length; basal leaf blade reniform   45 P. leptophylla
       
16 (13) Basal leaf blade elliptic, obovate, or broadly orbicular.   (17)
+ Basal leaf blade reniform, ovate-reniform, or ovate-cordate.   (21)
       
17 (16) Basal leaf blade elliptic or ovate.   (18)
+ Basal leaf blade obovate or broadly orbicular.   (19)
       
18 (17) Basal leaf blade elliptic, rarely obovate-elliptic; staminodes 3-cleft at apex   24 P. xinganensis
+ Basal leaf blade ovate or oblong-ovate; staminodes 5-branched, branches globose glandular at apex   57 P. guilinensis
       
19 (17) Basal leaf blade densely purple-brown punctate, broadly orbicular, apex emarginate   60 P. longshengensis
+ Basal leaf blade not punctate, obovate, oblong-obovate, broadly orbicular, or suborbicular.   (20)
       
20 (19) Basal leaf blade obovate or oblong-obovate, 2-4 × 1.5-2.6 cm; staminodes 3- or 4(or 5)-lobed for ca. 1/3 their length   41 P. obovata
+ Basal leaf blade broadly orbicular or suborbicular, 1.2-2 × 1.4-2.5 cm; staminodes (3 or)4- or 5-lobed for 1/3-1/2 their length   48 P. dilatata
       
21 (16) Staminodes terete, entire, apex rounded or discoid.   (22)
+ Staminodes branched, or flat with apex dentate or lobed.   (29)
       
22 (21) Basal leaf blade reniform, base deeply cordate; petals green.   (23)
+ Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate, base cordate; petals white or green.   (24)
       
23 (22) Stem 15-30 cm; petals lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 10-20 × ca. 5 mm; basal leaf blade 3-6 × 5-9.5 cm   1 P. longipetala
+ Stem 5-11 cm; petals flabellate, 4-8 × 3-6 mm; basal leaf blade 5-25 × 13-30 mm   2 P. tenella
       
24 (22) Petals green or yellow-green.   (25)
+ Petals white or yellowish.   (27)
       
25 (24) Petals yellow-green; cauline leaf ovate-reniform; basal leaf blade ovate-reniform; staminodes indistinctly 3-6-dentate at apex   5 P. longipetaloides
+ Petals green; cauline leaf oblong or ovate-lanceolate; basal leaf blade ovate-cordate or ovate-reniform.   (26)
       
26 (25) Petals densely purple-brown punctate; staminodes rounded at apex; basal leaf blade usually ovate-cordate   3 P. angustipetala
+ Petals not punctate; staminodes truncate or emarginate at apex; basal leaf blade usually ovate-reniform   4 P. yulongshanensis
       
27 (24) Petals distinctly purple-brown punctate, obovate-oblong, often emarginate at apex; staminodes often indistinctly 3-crenate at apex, or entire   6 P. yunnanensis
+ Petals indistinctly purple punctate, oblong or narrowly oblanceolate, acute or rounded at apex; staminodes rounded at apex.   (28)
       
28 (27) Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate, base cordate; cauline leaf borne near apex of stem, much smaller than basal leaves; petals yellowish   7 P. yanyuanensis
+ Basal leaf blade ovate-triangular, base not cordate; cauline leaf borne near base of stem, about as large as basal leaves; petals white   8 P. humilis
       
29 (21) Staminodes branched.   (30)
+ Staminodes flat, apex dentate or lobed.   (34)
       
30 (29) Staminodes 7-23-branched   63 P. palustris
+ Staminodes (3 or)5(or 7)-branched.   (31)
       
31 (30) Petal margin fimbriate proximally, entire or undulate distally.   (32)
+ Petal margin fimbriate throughout; staminodes divided for 1/3-1/2 their length.   (33)
       
32 (31) Staminodes divided almost to base   58 P. gansuensis
+ Staminodes divided for ca. 1/2 their length   59 P. simaoensis
       
33 (31) Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate, thick textured, base cordate   61 P. perciliata
+ Basal leaf blade reniform, thin textured, base subcordate or truncate   62 P. davidii
       
34 (29) Staminodes (3-)5-7-dentate at apex.   (35)
+ Staminodes 3- or 5-lobed at apex.   (37)
       
35 (34) Cauline leaf borne near base of stem   22 P. qinghaiensis
+ Cauline leaf borne near middle of stem or distally.   (36)
       
36 (35) Petals broadly spatulate or obovate, base broadly and shortly clawed (claw ca. 1 mm), margin erose or subentire; basal leaf blade cuneate or subcordate at base   13 P. degeensis
+ Petals triangular-ovate, base long clawed (claw 2-2.5 mm), margin long fimbriate proximally; basal leaf blade deeply cordate at base   14 P. farreri
       
37 (34) Staminodes 5-lobed at apex.   (38)
+ Staminodes 3-lobed at apex.   (42)
       
38 (37) Petal margin sparsely and shortly fimbriate throughout; stem less than 10 cm   52 P. omeiensis
+ Petal margin long fimbriate proximally; stem more than 10 cm.   (39)
       
39 (38) Staminode lobes subequal.   (40)
+ Staminode lobes unequal.   (41)
       
40 (39) Basal leaf blade broadly cordate, about as long as wide, 2.5-4.5(-5) × 3.8-5.5 cm; petals shortly clawed   47 P. wightiana
+ Basal leaf blade oblong-cordate, nearly 2 × as long as wide, to 7 cm; petals long clawed   49 P. monochoriifolia
       
41 (39) Central 3 staminode lobes ca. 3 × as long as lateral ones; petals yellow-white; basal leaf blade reniform   50 P. yiliangensis
+ Staminode lobes subequal, central 3 parted, lateral ones very shallowly lobed; petals white; basal leaf blade ovate-cordate   51 P. chengkouensis
       
42 (37) Staminode lobes unequal.   (43)
+ Staminode lobes subequal.   (44)
       
43 (42) Central staminode lobe much shorter than lateral ones; petals greenish, narrowly oblong, margin sparsely and shortly fimbriate; cauline leaf borne distally on stem   39 P. cooperi
+ Central staminode lobe ca. 0.6 mm longer than lateral ones; petals white, obovate, rarely subspatulate, margin entire; cauline leaf borne near base of stem   40 P. laxmannii
       
44 (42) Petal margin long fimbriate proximally.   (45)
+ Petal margin shortly fimbriate or erose proximally, or entire.   (47)
       
45 (44) Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate, larger, thick textured   19 P. crassifolia
+ Basal leaf blade reniform, orbicular, or broadly ovate-orbicular, occasionally ovate-cordate, thin textured.   (46)
       
46 (45) Petals oblanceolate, with 2 green, oblong glands near base, apex acute; basal leaf blade 1.2-2.4 × 1.2-2.4 cm, much larger than cauline leaf   17 P. yui
+ Petals broadly obovate, eglandular, apex emarginate; basal leaf blade 6-11 × 7.5-14 mm, subequaling cauline leaf   18 P. chinensis
       
47 (44) Petal margin shortly fimbriate proximally.   (48)
+ Petal margin erose or entire.   (49)
       
48 (47) Sepals and petals purple-brown punctate; petals 5-6 × 3-4 mm; basal leaf blade 9-10 × 8-9 mm   21 P. venusta
+ Sepals and petals not punctate; petals 7.8-9.5 × 5.2-6.1 mm; basal leaf blade 1-1.5 cm × 9-14 mm   20 P. epunctulata
       
49 (47) Ovary superior.   (50)
+ Ovary semi-inferior.   (55)
       
50 (49) Basal leaf blade broadly elliptic, attenuate into petiole at base; petals yellow, spatulate or spatulate-oblanceolate   23 P. filchneri
+ Basal leaf blade ovate-reniform or ovate-cordate, cordate at base; petals white or green, obovate or lanceolate.   (51)
       
51 (50) Petals green, minutely purple punctate, lanceolate, margin densely erose, apex acuminate   25 P. lanceolata
+ Petals white, obovate, margin sparsely erose or entire, apex rounded or 2-lobed.   (52)
       
52 (51) Basal leaf blade ovate-reniform; stem to 4 cm   26 P. kangdingensis
+ Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate; stem usually more than 4 cm.   (53)
       
53 (52) Petals 2-lobed or emarginate at apex; staminodes 3-lobed for ca. 1/3 their length   27 P. mysorensis
+ Petals rounded at apex; staminodes shallowly 3(-6)-lobed for ca. 1/6 their length.   (54)
       
54 (53) Stem 7-10 cm; basal leaf blade densely brown punctate, ovate, with 5-7 arcuate veins, base cordate; staminode lobes rounded at apex, subequal   29 P. cacuminum
+ Stem 16-27 cm; basal leaf blade not distinctly punctate, ovate-oblong, 7-9-veined, base deeply cordate; staminode lobes truncate at apex, central one narrower than lateral ones   28 P. submysorensis
       
55 (49) Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate or reniform.   (56)
+ Basal leaf blade ovate-oblong.   (58)
       
56 (55) Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate or reniform, longer than wide base cordate   31 P. pusilla
+ Basal leaf blade ovate-cordate, about as long as wide, base deeply cordate.   (57)
       
57 (56) Stem 8-13 cm; basal leaf blade 5-15 × 7-15 mm, cordate or subcordate at base   27 P. mysorensis
+ Stem 23-32 cm; basal leaf blade 3-4.1 × 3-4.1 cm, deeply cordate at base   30 P. cordata
       
58 (55) Stem (13-)17-40 cm; basal leaf blade ovate-oblong or ovate-triangular, truncate, subcordate, or sometimes decurrent at base.   (59)
+ Stem 6-21 cm; basal leaf blade ovate-cordate, not truncate at base.   (61)
       
59 (58) Staminode lamina 3-parted for (1/2-)2/3 its length   32 P. oreophila
+ Staminode lamina 3-lobed for 1/5-1/4(-1/2) its length.   (60)
       
60 (59) Staminodes ca. 3.2 mm, lobes shortly linear; petals yellow   33 P. tibetana
+ Staminodes 4-5 mm, lobes lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate; petals white   34 P. nubicola
       
61 (58) Petals obovate or broadly so.   (62)
+ Petals lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate.   (63)
       
62 (61) Petals purple punctate, broadly obovate; stem less than 6 cm; basal leaf petiole ca. 1 cm, leaf blade usually cordate at base   35 P. subscaposa
+ Petals not or indistinctly punctate, obovate; stem 8-21 cm, rarely shorter; basal leaf petiole (1.5-)3.5-6 cm, leaf blade usually truncate at base   36 P. deqenensis
       
63 (61) Petals white; basal leaf petiole 8-15 mm, occasionally to 4 cm   37 P. trinervis
+ Petals green; basal leaf petiole (1-)5-25 mm   38 P. viridiflora

List of Keys

  • List of lower taxa


     

    Related Objects  
  • PDF File
  • PDF

  • Flora of China @ efloras.org
    Browse by
    Volume
    Family
    Genera
    Advanced Search


    Flora of China Home


    Checklist

     

     

     |  eFlora Home |  People Search  |  Help  |  ActKey  |  Hu Cards  |  Glossary  |