Grass of Parnassus is a small perennial. The flowers grow singly on long stalks; they have five white petals with darker veins. The leaves are smooth-edged and heart-shaped. The plant grows in damp pastures, sometimes high up on mountains, and equally often lower down by river or lakesides. It is found in the west and centre of Ireland, but is not native to parts of the south-west and north-east. This exquisite plant may have been referred to in the 1st century AD by Dioscorides. He wrote, "The grass which grows on Parnassus…bears leaves like to Ivy, a white flower and of a sweet scent." (John Goodyear's translation.)
The flowers bloom in July and August. Grass of Parnassus grows in some districts of Britain, in Europe and in temperate parts of Asia.