Taxon Report

Parnassia cirrata Piper var. intermedia (Rydb.) P.K. Holmgren & N.H. Holmgren

Cascade grass-of-Parnassus

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Parnassia cirrata var. intermedia, commonly known as Cascade grass-of-Parnassus, is a perennial herb in the Parnassiaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Bogs and fens, and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 780 to 1980 meters. Parnassia cirrata var. intermedia is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Parnassia cirrata Piper var. intermedia (Rydb.) P.K. Holmgren & N.H. Holmgren
Common Name:	Cascade grass-of-Parnassus
Family:	Parnassiaceae
Element Code:	PDSAX0P0E1
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: (Jul)Aug-Sep(Oct)	(Jul)Aug-Sep(Oct)
Elevation:	780-1980 (2560-6495)
General Habitats:	Bogs and fens, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:	Rocky, Serpentine
Microhabitat Details:	Rocky serpentine soil

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	GNRTNR
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12 added to 2.2 on 2007-09-19

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	31
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	7
Good (B)	16
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	7

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Shasta (SHA), Siskiyou (SIS), Trinity (TRI)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Caribou Lake (4112218), Chicken Hawk Hill (4112214), Covington Mill (4012287), Dunsmuir (4112223), Mount Eddy (4112234), Mumbo Basin (4112225), Scott Mountain (4112236), Seven Lakes Basin (4112224), Siligo Peak (4012288), Whisky Bill Peak (4112215)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	21	68 %
Logging	19	61%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	5	16%
Road/trail construction/maint.	4	12%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	3%

Notes



Possibly threatened by grazing, recreational activities, vehicles, and logging. Synonymous with P. fimbriata var. intermedia, P. fimbriata var. hoodiana, and P. intermedia. Not in The Jepson Manual (1993). See Intermountain Flora 3A: 61 (1997) for description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Addition on 2007-09-19

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 January 2025].