With a flower that is pale and slightly bigger than a coin, the inconspicuous parnassia oreophila flourish in the alpine meadows around July and August. It is a species endemic to China. The name oreophila derives from the ancient Greek word "Oreos", meaning hills or mountains; "Philos", meaning love, therefore, it is sometimes referred to as the "mountain-loving parnassia". 

The little green circle in the center of the flower is formed by sterile stamens and the globular glands can produce nectar that attracts insects to pollinate.

(Cover image by Liu Bing from Luli Studio, taken in Xiaowutai Mountain, Hebei Province, North China.)

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