Viola bicolor
Viola tomentosa
field pansy, violette de Rafinesque, wild pansy
felt-leaf violet, woolly or felt-leaf or feltleaf violet, woolly violet
1–3(–5), prostrate or decumbent to erect, leafy proximally and distally, densely white-tomentose, from usually vertical, subligneous rhizome.
basal and cauline;
basal: 1–6;
stipules linear to broadly ovate-oblong, margins entire, sometimes with scattered glandular hairs, apex acute to obtuse;
petiole 2–6 cm, densely white-tomentose;
blade ± oblanceolate to elliptic, 1.5–5 × 1.4–2.1 cm, base attenuate, usually oblique, margins usually entire, rarely crenate distally, ciliate, apex acute to usually obtuse, mucronulate, surfaces densely white-tomentose abaxially, strigose adaxially;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules ovate, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or oblong, margins entire or toothed, densely ciliate with white hairs;
petiole 1.5–3.5 cm;
blade 1.8–4 × 0.6–1.1 cm.
1–4.5 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
1–4 cm, densely white-tomentose.
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, margins ciliate-tomentose, auricles 0.5–1 mm;
petals deep lemon-yellow adaxially, upper 2 often brownish purple abaxially, lower 3 dark brown- to brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 6–11 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.5–1.5 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers absent.
ellipsoid to oblong, 4–7 mm, glabrous.
± spherical, 4–5 mm, densely white-tomentose.
beige to bronze, 0.3–1.5 mm.
brown with lighter brown mottling, 2.5–2.8 mm.
= 34.
= 12.
Viola bicolor
Viola tomentosa
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.)
Viola tomentosa occurs in El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, and Sierra counties. M. S. Baker (1949) reported that nearly every leaf axil of V. tomentosa produces a flower bud and that these buds produce chasmogamous flowers late in season instead of cleistogamous flowers, as do other members of the V. nuttallii complex.
Viola tomentosa hybridizes with V. purpurea; the hybrids appeared sterile (M. S. Baker 1949). J. Clausen (1964) reported a putative hybrid between V. tomentosa and V. sheltonii from one location in Sierra County.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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