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Howell's violet

darkwoods violet, evergreen yellow violet, round-leaved violet

Habit Sparsely pubescent perennial from scaly rhizomes, 2-10 cm. tall. Glabrous perennial from scaly rhizomes, the aerial stems up to 5 cm. long.
Leaves

Leaf blades cordate to reniform-cordate, with coarse, rounded teeth, the petioles of the many basal leaves 10-15 cm. long;

stipules 3-10 mm. long, prominently toothed.

Leaves blades nearly orbicular to cordate-ovate, 2-4 cm. broad, thin, often persisting through the winter;

petioles 2-10 cm. long;

stipules brownish, lanceolate, membranous, mostly entire.

Flowers

Flowers 1.5-2 cm. long, the spur very prominent, saccate;

sepals obtuse, auriculate at the base;

petals bluish-violet to nearly white, strongly veined with purple, the lateral pair long-bearded;

style sparsely bearded.

Flowers 5-15 mm. long, the spur short, saccate;

peduncles exceeding the leaves;

petals lemon-yellow to gold, the lower 3 purplish-penciled, the lateral pair yellow-bearded;

style head bearded.

Fruits

Fruit a 3-valved capsule, ovary superior, placentation parietal, seeds light brown.

Fruit a purplish-mottled, 3-valved capsule, ovary superior, placentation parietal, seeds brown.

Viola howellii

Viola orbiculata

Flowering time April-May May-August
Habitat Moist woods and prairies at low to moderate elevations. Open woods, middle to high elevations in the mountains.
Distribution
Occurring west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta, Montana and Wyoming.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
V. adunca, V. arvensis, V. canadensis, V. flettii, V. glabella, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. macloskeyi, V. nephrophylla, V. nuttallii, V. odorata, V. orbiculata, V. palustris, V. pluviae, V. purpurea, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. ×wittrockiana
V. adunca, V. arvensis, V. canadensis, V. flettii, V. glabella, V. howellii, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. macloskeyi, V. nephrophylla, V. nuttallii, V. odorata, V. palustris, V. pluviae, V. purpurea, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. ×wittrockiana
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