Viola bicolor
Viola orbiculata
field pansy, violette de Rafinesque, wild pansy
darkwoods violet, evergreen yellow violet, round-leaf or round-leaf wood or western round-leaf or evergreen violet, round-leaf violet, violette orbiculaire
1–5, prostrate or erect, leafy proximally and distally, usually glabrous, from current and/or previous year’s growth, on usually vertical, fleshy rhizome.
basal and cauline;
basal: 3–11;
stipules deltate to lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate;
petiole 2.1–10.5 cm, glabrous or pubescent;
blade usually orbiculate to broadly ovate, sometimes reniform, 1.4–5.3 × 1.4–5.3 cm, base cordate, margins crenate to serrulate-crenulate, eciliate or sparingly ciliate, apex usually obtuse, rarely acute, abaxial surface usually glabrous, adaxial surface sparsely pubescent;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate to ovate, margins usually entire, ciliate;
petiole 0.7–1 cm, glabrous or pubescent;
blade 1.2–2 × 1.1–1.4 cm.
1–4.5 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
2.7–5.6 cm, glabrous.
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 narrow to broadly lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1.5 mm;
upper 2 and lateral 2 petals deep lemon-yellow on both surfaces, lower 3 and sometimes upper 2 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 usually bearded, lowest 8–17 mm, spur usually yellow, sometimes whitish, gibbous, 1.5–2.5 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
ellipsoid to oblong, 4–7 mm, glabrous.
ellipsoid, 6–8 mm, glabrous.
beige to bronze, 0.3–1.5 mm.
light to dark brown, sometimes mottled with white, 2–2.3 mm.
= 34.
= 24.
Viola bicolor
Viola orbiculata
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.)
During winter, the basal leaves of Viola orbiculata are appressed to the ground under the weight of snow. The leaves overwinter and are often partly or entirely green after the snow has melted. Mature plants possess 3–11 basal leaves, some derived from previous years and others from the current year’s growth. Occasional plants are found with short, thin stems rooted at the tip and producing a rosette of leaves and stems, showing the close relationship with V. sempervirens.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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