Viola blanda
Viola tripartita
sweet white violet, violette agréable
three-part or Piedmont or threepart violet, threepart violet
1(2), erect, leafless proximally, leafy distally, glabrous or puberulent, from subligneous rhizome.
basal, 2–9, prostrate to ascending;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;
petiole 2–11 cm, usually sparsely pubescent;
blade unlobed, reniform to ovate, 2–4 × 2–4 cm, base cordate, lobes often overlapping, margins serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex rounded or acute to acuminate, surfaces sometimes glabrous, usually sparsely pubescent adaxially.
basal and cauline;
basal: 0(–2);
stipules ovate, not leaflike, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous or puberulent;
petiole 9–11.5 cm, glabrous or puberulent;
blade unlobed, ovate, or 3–5-lobed, 4–5 × 1–5 cm, base cordate, margins entire or crenate-serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or ± puberulent;
cauline similar to basal except: restricted to distal ends of stems;
stipules ovate to oblong;
petiole 0.7–7.2 cm, glabrous or puberulent;
blade unlobed, ovate or deltate, or 3-lobed (if 3-lobed, lateral lobes falcate, middle rhombic, longer than others, lobes may appear petiolate; unlobed and 3-lobed leaves can occur on same plant), 1–6 × 0.5–5.5 cm, base truncate to cuneate, margins serrate, ciliate or eciliate, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.
3–11 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
1.5–4 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins mostly eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals white on both surfaces, lower 3 purple-veined, lateral 2 usually beardless, lowest 8–10 mm, spur white, gibbous, 1–2 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 0.1–0.5 mm;
petals lemon-yellow adaxially, upper 2, rarely others, brownish purple abaxially, lowest and usually lateral 2 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 and sometimes lowest bearded, lowest 10–18 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.5–2 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 4–6 mm, glabrous.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 9–12 mm, glabrous.
beige to bronze, 1.5–2 mm.
beige, bronze, or brown, 2.4–3 mm.
= 44, 48.
= 12.
Viola blanda
Viola tripartita
Viola blanda occurs in small colonies; individual plants are interconnected by stolons.
Whether to recognize Viola incognita at any taxonomic level is currently unresolved. It is said to have pubescent
leaf blades, greenish peduncles, nontwisted lateral petals, and a preference for moister habitats. Most of these characters fall within the range of variation observed in V. blanda.
N. H. Russell (1965) noted that Viola incognita is principally found in glaciated areas whereas V. blanda is found in nonglaciated areas. Á. Löve and D. Löve (1982b) and J. M. Canne (1987) reported a chromosome count of 2n = 44; J. Clausen (1929) and A. Gershoy (1934) reported 2n = 48. V. B. Baird (1942) reported that V. blanda (and V. incognita) have fragrant flowers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Some authors recognize two varieties of Viola tripartita based on lobed versus unlobed leaves. F. L. Lévesque and P. M. Dansereau (1966) suggested that leaf variation is the only character difference between vars. tripartita and glaberrima. N. H. Russell (1965) stated that V. tripartita plants with lobed and unlobed leaves are sympatric and frequently intergrade and did not recognize them as distinct. The situation with two leaf forms in V. tripartita is similar to V. lobata, which also has two leaf forms.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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