Viola bicolor
Viola affinis
field pansy, violette de Rafinesque, wild pansy
Le Conte's violet, sand violet, violette affine
basal, 1–6, ascending to erect;
stipules lanceolate, margins entire or fimbriate, apex acute;
petiole 2–10 cm, glabrous;
blade green abaxially, unlobed, narrowly to broadly ovate or narrowly deltate, 1.5–10 × 1.5–10 cm, not fleshy, base cordate to broadly cordate or almost truncate, margins crenate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces sparsely pubescent adaxially, rarely glabrous.
1–4.5 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
3–15 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
sepals ovate to lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 0.5–2 mm;
petals white or cream to pale bluish violet on both surfaces, dark purple-veined, lateral 2 longer than sepals, bearded, lowest 8–10 mm, spur white to blue-violet, gibbous, 1–1.5 mm, shorter than or equaling sepal auricles;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals lavender-violet to dull reddish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and darker violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 10–22 mm, usually obviously bearded, rarely beardless, spur white or same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers from prostrate to ascending peduncles.
ellipsoid to oblong, 4–7 mm, glabrous.
often reddish or purplish-flecked or green, ellipsoid, 5–10 mm, glabrous or puberulent.
beige to bronze, 0.3–1.5 mm.
beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm.
= 34.
= 54.
Viola bicolor
Viola affinis
Viola bicolor is the only pansy native to North America (V. B. Baird 1942; J. Clausen et al. 1964; A. E. Radford et al. 1968) and is the only annual Viola species that produces cleistogamous flowers (Baird; A. Gershoy 1934). Roots of V. bicolor have the odor of wintergreen when crushed (W. J. Hayden and J. Clough 1990).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
L. E. McKinney (1992) considered Viola affinis, and much of what botanists had called V. nephrophylla, to be essentially the same taxon. After studying additional specimens, reviewing literature (H. E. Ballard 1994; A. Haines 2001b), and discussions with others (J. Cayouette, H. E. Ballard, A. Haines, pers. comm.), he chose to maintain these as separate taxa. Reports of V. affinis in the Gulf coastal states based on specimens or photographs are usually attributable to V. missouriensis.
Viola affinis reportedly hybridizes with V. hirsutula (= V. ×consobrina House), V. cucullata (= V. ×consocia House), V. brittoniana (= V. ×davisii House), V. sororia (= V. ×filicetorum Greene [as species]), V. sagittata var. sagittata (= V. ×hollickii House), and V. nephrophylla (= V. ×subaffinis House).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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