Viola canadensis |
Viola odorata |
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Canada violet, Canada white violet, Canadian violet, Canadian white violet, rugose violet |
English violet, garden violet, sweet blue violet, sweet violet, violette odorante |
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Habit | Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 3–46(–60) cm, with branching rhizomes forming colonies or not. | Plants perennial, acaulescent, stoloniferous, 4–12 cm; stolons green, often rooting at nodes and forming leafy rosettes; rooted rosettes often develop into erect, rhizomatous caudex from which new stolons are produced; rhizome thick, fleshy. | ||||||||
Stems | 1–3(4), usually erect to ascending, glabrous or puberulent, from fleshy or subligneous rhizome. |
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Leaves | basal and cauline; basal: 1–5; stipules ± oblong, ovate, or lanceolate, margins entire, sometimes glandular, apex acuminate to cuspidate; petiole 1.1–23 cm, glabrous or puberulent; blade ovate to broadly ovate or ovate-reniform, 0.7–12.4 × 0.9–11.1(–12.3) cm, base cordate, subcordate, or truncate, margins crenate, crenulate, or serrulate, ciliate (sometimes only on proximal 1/2) or eciliate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous or puberulent (often only on veins); cauline similar to basal except: stipules also deltate, margins also erose or laciniate, apex acute, long-acuminate to cuspidate, or ± truncate, occasionally 2- or 3-fid; petiole 0.1–6.9(–15.2) cm; blade ovate to deltate, 1.2–7.7 × 0.8–7.8 cm, base cordate to truncate, margins crenate or crenulate to ± serrulate. |
basal (and from stolons), 5–10, ascending to erect; stipules lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, margins fimbriate, projections gland-tipped, apex acute; petiole 2–17 cm, puberulent; blade unlobed, ovate to orbiculate, 1.5–7 × 1.5–5 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, ciliate, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces puberulent. |
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Peduncles | 1–6.1 cm, glabrate to puberulent, sometimes glabrous below bracteoles. |
4–15 cm, puberulent. |
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Flowers | sepals lanceolate, margins usually eciliate, auricles 0.5–1.3 mm; petals white adaxially, upper 2 and lower 3 tinged soft reddish violet abaxially, rarely white on both surfaces, all petals usually with yellow patch basally, lower 3 usually purple-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 5.5–20 mm, spur white, gibbous, 1–2 mm; style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary or absent. |
sepals narrow to broadly lanceolate, margins ciliate, auricles 3–4 mm; petals deep to pale blue-violet, pale blue, or white on both surfaces, usually white basally, lateral 2 sparsely to densely bearded, lowest usually purple-veined, 12–22 mm, spur usually same color as petals, elongated, 5–7 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate or ascending peduncles. |
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Capsules | ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.5–10 mm, sometimes muriculate, glabrous or puberulent. |
sometimes purple-flecked, ovoid, 5–8 mm, puberulent. |
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Seeds | brown to dark brown or purplish black, 1.5–2.5 mm. |
brown, 3–4 mm. |
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2n | = 20. |
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Viola canadensis |
Viola odorata |
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Phenology | Flowering Jan–May. | |||||||||
Habitat | Lawns, roadsides, clearings, riparian habitats, parks, urban areas | |||||||||
Elevation | 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft) | |||||||||
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CO; CT; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT
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CA; CT; ID; IL; MA; ME; MI; NC; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; UT; WA; WI; BC; NS; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Australia]
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Discussion | Varieties 3 (3 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Viola odorata occurs in small colonies; individual plants are interconnected by stolons. The flowers of Viola odorata are noted for their fragrance; some plants are more fragrant than others. It is native to Eurasia and assumed to be introduced in North America where it is usually found in areas associated with human habitation, including parks, lawns, and roadsides. A substantial industry revolved around the commercial production of violets in England, France, and the United States from prior to 1895 and into the 1900s (R. E. Coombs 2003). Viola odorata is sometimes found in remote locations not easily explained by anthropogenic influence, for example, Clearwater Mountains, Idaho. It is available through the nursery trade and is cultivated as a garden plant and occasionally reported as an escape. Viola odorata is grown in southern France for essential oils used in perfumes, flavorings, and toiletries, and also for the production of the sweet, violet-colored liqueur called parfait amour (V. H. Heywood 1978). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 125. | FNA vol. 6, p. 140. | ||||||||
Parent taxa | Violaceae > Viola | Violaceae > Viola | ||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 936. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 934. (1753) | ||||||||
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