Common & scientific name
Fringed Grass of Parnassus, Parnassia fimbriata
Family
Saxifrage, Saxifragaceae, Staff Tree, Celastraceae, or Parnassus, Parnassiaceae
Location
Grizzly Creek valley, 12,000’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
This bright white, late-blooming, water-loving flower is always a delight to find, often in roadside ditches where orchids and elephanthead bloomed earlier. Its petals are fringed at the base, and its leaves heart-shaped. While the family it belongs to is in dispute (or in transition may be a better way to put it), its delicate beauty is not!