What is "parnassiaceae"

Parnassiaceae Gray are a family of flowering plants in the eudicot order Celastrales. It is not recognized in the APG III system of plant classification. When that system was published in 2009, Parnassiaceae were treated as a segregate of an expanded Celastraceae.

Parnassiaceae have only two genera, Lepuropetalon and Parnassia. Lepuropetalon has only one species, Lepuropetalon spathulatum, a winter annual that usually prefers sandy soil. It is one of the smallest of flowering plants, up to 2 cm tall. Lepuropetalon has a disjunct distribution, being known from the southeastern United States and central Chile, but is probably far more common than has been reported.

Parnassia is a genus of perennial herbs, up to 60 cm tall, that grow in bogs, marshes, and other wet areas, mostly in cool to cold climates of the north temperate zone. There are at least 70 species. Sixty-three species occur in China and 49 of these occur nowhere else. A second area of diversity for Parnassia is North America and about 9 species occur there. Parnassia palustris is the most well known and widely distributed species. It ranges through most of northern Eurasia, Canada, and the western United States. Parnassia palustris is widely cultivated. About 10 species are known in cultivation, all as ornamentals.